


Crisis Core: Ballad of Fallen Soldiers

by FinalFantasyMama



Category: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M, Sex, angeal is the best husbando, angeal x reader - Freeform, character x reader, genesis is OOC, genesis needs to get a life, genesis x reader - Freeform, oneshots, rufus shinra is looking for trouble, sephiroth before he went crazy, sephiroth x reader - Freeform, soldier first class
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:02:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 64,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23702782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FinalFantasyMama/pseuds/FinalFantasyMama
Summary: This is a very old fanfic i wrote 5+ years ago, so my writing style back then was not so great (I think) It was one of my first long fics. The first 20 chapters are very Angeal x reader and focuses on Before Crisis, the FF7 base mobile game. From chapter 21 on its very Sephiroth x reader (so you can skip the first 20 chapters if you's rather pursue sephi) and focuses on the Crisis Core storyline. So you get your choice of Soljya Bois to romance! Genesis X reader will come after that! I highly recommend reading the game scripts if you've not played any of them games via thelifestream.net before hand.Follows canon of the main stories but with a female OC character inserted. OC a magic user but all descriptions of her are vague so you can insert your own character, names are also omitted so you can use your own OC name! Enjoy! Warning for major character death, angst, heartbreaks and sex!
Relationships: Rufus Shinra & Tseng, Zack Fair/Angeal Hewley/Genesis Rhapsodos/Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

  
  


_15 years prior to Crisis Core:_

"Where did you find her?" A kindly woman asked with soft brown eyes and long wavy reddish brown hair. Her simple dress and apron made her look so homey and warm, the way you would imagine a mother to be. The bump over her stomach indicated that idea wasn't so far off the radar, she was heavily pregnant and beside her a equally kind looking man in a white medical jacket kneeled down in front of the subject.

The subject, however, was an entirely different story. She was not too young and definitely in her upper 20's and her frail thin frame indicated she had been without food for a while but what caught everyone off guard and what made her an easy target was her abnormally lavender colored hair and equally enchanting purple eyes. No one in the world had features like that, that was human anyway.

"Someone found her wandering in the Banora area." The man explained and in his eyes was nothing but concern and compassion for the poor creature who sat silently with eyes half dead from exhaustion and face so emotionless and blank one had to wonder what happened to her to bring her to this state.

The man's wife poured a cup of hot tea and tried to hand it to the girl but she did nothing and so the lady tried to put the cup in the girls hands but the minute she made contact with the young ladies skin, she jumped back as if bitten and the cup spilled its contents on the wood floor of their home. The woman gasped and rubbed her hand as if in pain. 

"Darling?!" The man was instantly at his wife's side checking her out.

She shook her head and her eyes were wide with wonder. "This girl....she........." And then her face grew serious. "You must send her away!"

"Why?" The man tried to comfort his wife.

"She's in danger and she IS a danger! If Shinra ever finds out about her then......!" His wife pleaded.

"Please Ifalna!" The man tried to calm her down. "Tell me whats going on!"

"Don't you see Gast? Shinra has unearthed Jenova and now this girl shows up....She is the master of Chaos and Omega!" Ifalna exclaimed.

"Chaos and Omega? The two entities that Grimoire was studying? How can that be? It was just a theory!" Her husband countered back.

"Its true! Its all true! Weapons, Jenova, Chaos, Omega and now her! She has the ability to destroy Jenova! You can't ever let Shinra find out about her!"

The man rubbed his temples. "Oh lord if only Professor Valentine was still alive then.....I mean we are already wanted by Shinra, what can we do?" He paced back and forth and then had an idea. "Wait, Cosmo Canyon. My colleague BugenHagen might be able to help."

And the two of them stared at the strange girl who sat like a doll in the rickety wooden chair as they clasped hands in both concern and fear.

********

_During the later half of the wutai war_

"She's fast! Cant you keep and eye on her?!" One of the military police shouted as he pulled out his walkie talkie and made contact with his other team members across the building. The whole headquarters had gone into high alert and lock down the minute word got around that an intruder had broken into the science wing and made off with a very rare form of Materia being studied there.

Sirens blazed, red lights flashed as building security scrambled around to follow after the lone figure who snatched it up with ease. She had already physically injured a dozen men using her bare hands and didnt seemed fazed at all by the ruckus as she ever so gracefully made her way up the steps of the 60 something floor red carpeted staircase that lead straight to President Shinra's office. But another person was already there waiting for her and had every intention of stopping her.

The simple black hooded cloak she wore spread out behind her like bat wings and her rather casual clothing choice made her seem more like a misplaced tourist then a potential assassin as she stopped short and stared at her next opponent. Angeal had to admit, he was a bit confused why someone like her even made it that far up the building to begin with. She was, after all, just one girl and pretty normal looking at that even though her face was conveniently covered by the hood she wore. In her small pale hand was the glowing orb of Materia that she made no effort to conceal.

"Miss...this doesnt have to be this way." Angeal said calmly, trying to reason with her before taking this too far. "All you have to do is put the materia down and surrender and no harm will come to you."

As he said this Shinra Guards circled around behind her, blocking any potential exit down the stairs as Angeal flanked her off at the top. She was effectively trapped on the staircase with no where to go. Turning her head once to count the number of men behind her she turned back to look at the handsome soldier in blue and took one moment to examine him.

She had heard of him before and knew his reputation as a one of the best first class soldiers Shinra had to offer. He was tall and lean, ripped with muscle, had a good strong face and somewhat disheveled black hair. According to his file he was only 25 years old, but in person he looked much older and more mature than his age suggested. He was confident too and had a certain dominating yet gentle air about him. Such a shame she would have to break him a little because he seemed like a nice guy. She really hated picking on nice guys. Especially very good looking ones but she had a job to do.

Clenching the Materia in her hand she shouted one word, "Resist!" as a black shock wave erupted from both the crystal and her and sent everyone in the room flying back about 50 feet. The guards were scattered and landed like a pile of bowling pins on the opposite side of the floor as Angeal hit the wall next to him with such force it stunned him for a moment. And that one moment was all she needed. She continued her ascend up the stairs and walked straight past him as if he was the most uninteresting and inconsequential thing in the world.

He peeled himself off the wall as she disappeared, rubbed the back of his head and cursed himself that he had been too nice then chased after her.

Up in the President's office he had already been evacuated, as she anticipated, and the office was empty and quiet. The president was not her target though and she quickly walked to the glass windows on the other side and out the automatic door that lead to the helipad. The wind outside this high up tore at her cape as she walked to the center of the pad and looked around. The helicopter was long gone with the President most likely inside and that was fine with her. She needed the space for what was to come next.

"You look a little lost, kitten." Someone said behind her. She didn't even bother turning around because she already knew who it was. His aura was volatile and wild, like a lion chained up but always ready to attack, the opposite of his friend whom she took care of in the hallway. When she turned slightly to confirm that estimation indeed Genesis Rhapsodos was sauntering his way across the area towards her, his long red and silver Rapier hanging casually by his side in one hand. His red coat stood out nicely against the contrast of the night sky and his reddish brown hair fluttered slightly in the wind.

" _These guys are so young and cocky.._..." The girl thought to herself. " _Leaving their weapons down like that just because I'm female. How foolish and lazy_!"

"There is no where else to run." Genesis pointed out as Angeal ran up beside him.

"Do you really think I would waltz my way up to a well known Helipad if I intended to run away?" She asked calmly as a small smile spread across her lips, the only part of her face visible.

Both of the young men glanced at each other then back to her. "You did it on purpose then?"

"I needed to get you two alone....." She said as she held the materia out as if offering it to them with one hand and with the other removed her cape in a dramatic swish. There was a flash of light that nearly blinded them as her clothes warped and re formed on her body, creating a sleek white and gold body suit with filigreed shoulder armor, a crown of many jewels (which were really materia) and a very odd bird like mask that covered the top half of her face, leaving only her mouth exposed. Strands of lavender hair fall past her shoulders framing a round like face with impossibly cherry red lips that held a small smile.

Without warning she did something odd, she threw the stolen materia at Angeal whom caught it instantly and then a split second later she launched herself at Genesis catching him just as he drew his sword and throwing her bare fist against his blade. He might as well have struck diamond. His sword vibrated with the blow as he parried her fist and barely missed the long golden leg flying towards his face. He ducked out of the way and tried to counter by swiping her other leg out but she jumped out of the way, back flipping with ease and twisting herself mid motion to throw something akin to a blade of light at him. Sparks flew off his sword as he blocked it but the force caused him to be thrown back.

Angeal wasted no time trying to follow suit and the girl saw a very big cleaver like sword coming down on her head. She rolled out of the way as it struck the ground next to her, giving her a open opportunity to charge up a blast of energy in her fist and thrust it straight into his chest. The force was enough to break metal and shatter glass because glass windows of the presidents office suddenly bursted into shards by the shock wave it created. His constitution was strong enough to take the hit and swung the big sword in a sideways arch that forced her to jump back and out of the way.

Genesis was already coming up behind her as he thrust his sword forward in quick succession trying to skewer her like a piece of meat and she dodged left to right each attempt he made but when he swung the rapier around in a very clean arc above his head she had to catch it against her forearm. The blade hit hard and indeed, she felt its sting but it didn't penetrate her clothing and she channeled magic against it to keep it from severing her limb clean off. They stood locked against each other, trying to overpower and dominate the other and buying Angeal some time to take her from behind.

She gasped as she saw him coming and had to act quickly so she snapped her fingers as one of her jewels lit up and time seemed to slow down. Angeal could feel it, like every muscle in his body became a thousand times heavier than they really were and all he could do was move in slow motion as the spry young lady threw the sword on her arm up, causing Genesis to stagger back as she threw a back kick so hard into Angeal's solar plex he almost flew off the helipad but caught the edge of it before going overboard. Genesis was left open and he quickly tried to recover but she had the element of time on her side and with another snap of her fingers time slowed again. He saw her coming but couldn't move against her time spell as she walked up to him casually, put a open palm on his chest and blasted him to kingdom come. A flash of light burst from her hand as he flew away, hitting the pavement hard and scrapping along his back until his head hit the guard railing behind him.

He nearly saw stars and growled at himself and the humiliation of not seeing that one coming and there that odd lady stood, arms on her hips as if she were mad, a small pout on her cherry lips as she waited for them all to get back up.

"Are you done wasting time?" She asked impatiently.

This made Genesis even more furious. "Presumptuous woman!" He sneered and moved to get up.

"Stay down." The girl commanded and as she hit him again with some sort of telekinetic wave. It slammed him again back against the railing and held him there.

She saw something flash next to her cheek and rest above her shoulder, just barely touching her and it caught her off guard. She didnt hear it, see it, sense it or anything and now she had a very thin sword almost at her throat and just hovering there making a mockery of her carelessness. 

"I suggest you put your hands up...and do it slowly." Came a very calm and deep voice. Not that she had heard that voice before but she expected at some point in the fight he would show up. Sephiroth got the drop on her and now he stood poised behind her with his sword ready to cleave her head off she shoulders if she made a bad move. 

Slowly she put her hands up the way one might if they were being arrested and awaited further instructions.

"Turn around slowly." He commanded and she did just so getting a good look at the very sleek looking man in the black leather coat and wielding a sword far too long for its own good. His long white hair was his most unusual feature aside from his impossibly green mako eyes. Luckily she had studied up on this man before ever engaging in this activity and knew what he was capable of. Perhaps it was foolishness or simple curiousity that abated any fear she had of him despite his very commanding aura and overall demeanor.

He raised a small phone to ear and spoke into it. "I've got her."

And then another voice came over the small speaker that she could easily hear. The voice advised very calmly. "Don't be so sure about that."

Very carefully she lowered her hand until her fingers just gently grazed the blade with their tips as Sephiroth eyed her in equal curiosity. "Sizzle." She said casually, as if it were a "hello" or "goodbye" and lightning ripped up his blade. It surged into his body and caused him to convulse and shout out, not that it really hurt him but it certainly stunned him and got his attention. This small distraction bought her the few seconds she needed to knock his blade to the side, reel back her fist and aim straight for his pretty face. He sidestepped in time and with ungodly quick reflexes slashed he sword at her. 

Had she been a normal human she would have been cut clean in two but as it stood, and by all accounts observed by the 3 men, she was not exactly normal and used impressive melee skills to dodge his blows. It was hard though, he was fast, more fast than anything she had ever fought and one false move would end with her being impaled or quartered. Light flashed from his blade with every stroke and slash and she was forced to back up and gain some room. In the corner of her eye Angeal and Genesis were already getting back up and ready to backup their comrade. She couldn't afford to fight all 3 of them at once in such close proximity.

Holding up her fist high she summoned a ball of blue white energy and slammed it into the ground the way someone would smash a bottle to pieces. The energy that erupted from it caused the platform to buckle and shake as ice spread out underneath their feet and suddenly large pillars of ice sprouted from the ground, threatening to impale them all and forcing them to split in several directions but she wasnt finished yet.

"Tsunami!" She shouted as the pillars shattered into many pieces and evaporated into a torrent of blue water that shot out in all directions. The boys had their hands full just dodging that many attacks and for her final crescendo she charged up another sphere of lightning and was ready to use the water as a conduit to fry each other them in succession when the small cell phone she had hanging from her belt rang out loud in a cute and cheerful melody.

She instantly stopped and answered it leaving the 3 men bewildered at her non chalant attitude but they used it as a opportunity to attack none the less.

"Im in the middle of something." She said matter of factly and waited for a reply on the other end. "...What? Seriously? So soon? What was the point then of having me do this?" She asked as she saw 3 figures flying at her at once. She held up her hand casually, palm out and said "Hold your chocobos." The 3 figures suddenly froze in mid air as if someone simply pushed the pause button on a playing movie and there they floated, trapped in some sort of forcefield by her magic, unable to do anything other than stare at her in shock as she flipped her phone closed.

"Its been fun boys." She saluted and snapped her fingers and she turned around. The spell ended and the 3 men fell to the ground as she ran to the edge of the Helipad. "Oh and by the way, Director Lazard says he wants you in his office pronto." With that she jumped off the side and disappeared. All of them ran to the edge and saw absolutely nothing when they looked down.

"What the hell was that?!" Angeal exclaimed.

"What a cheeky girl!" Genesis said in utter annoyance and Sephiroth said nothing at all. Silently though, he was seriously impressed.

"Lets get to Lazard." He said and they all turned around to leave.

**********


	2. Crimson, Blue, Silver and Gold

(Switching POVS for this chapter!)

"Is this some sort of joke?" Angeal asked with a raised brow as the trio of Soldiers made there way into the lift and pressed the button for the soldier floor and director Lazard's office.  
  
"Joke no, game...most likely." Sephiroth said as the door close and the lift descended.  
  
"How can anyone cast magic like that? That quickly? Even 1st classies cant pull that off easily." Angeal pointed out as they got off on their floor and made their way across the building.  
  
When the director's automatic door opened they all froze in place. There inside was none of other than you, the girl they had just had the pleasure of dueling with standing around with your arms folded across your chest casually and the good Director standing across from. You two had been chatting while you awaited the return of the trio and prepared for the barrage of questions that might come up over the fact that you had just intentionally stolen Shinra property and took all 3 of them on like it was yesterdays news. Their faces were priceless and you wished you had a camera on you to snap that moment. Too bad your cheap phone didn't have one.  
  
"Uh....Director?" Angeal started as they filed in and stood across the other side of the room from you.  
  
Lazard was a tall, clean blonde man with white slacks and a pinstripe navy blue suit who pretty much ran the whole Soldier Program and assigned missions to them handed down by the President. He was well educated, tactful, had impeccably good manners was a crowd favorite with the many personal that worked in the building. Him being good looking was a nice bonus you thought, though overall you would never breach the Director/Employee relationship that you two managed to build over the years with that observation, you certainly didn't mind a quick flirt with him once and while too. Luckily you two were on good enough terms to let that fly every so often.  
  
"Come on in, I guess I have some explaining to do." He admitted as he waved his hand. "I would like to introduce you to someone special. This is (Y/n), Shinra's supplemental support unit. She has been a great asset to the company for some 8 years now, having served as both a first class soldier and intelligence office in the past though her days of field work have been put behind her, she is still more than capable of going toe to toe with young bloods like you three."  
  
The 3 men stared at you with a mixture of curiosity and a bit of dumbfoundedness on the side as you turned to them, took of the mask that covered your face and bowed slightly out of courtesy. You lifted your head and gave a polite smile. "It's a pleasure."  
  
"Then this whole thing was set up?" Sephiroth asked with a somewhat amused expression.  
  
"Afraid so. Things have been lax here the past few months so the President arranged this little exercise to keep you all on alert. Plus at some point you would have to meet her so we thought it best if she put you all to the test so to speak. She will be joining us as Soldier Defense Support from today on and moving her office into the Shinra building. I hope you all will treat her well and with respect....She is technically a higher rank than you all based on seniority."  
  
The men exchanged quick glances with each other and then relaxed.  
  
"Pardon the question but why haven't we heard about you before?" Genesis asked with suspicion written all over his face.  
  
"I was supplementing the Turks up until this point engaging in some spy activities in Wutai. Other than that I was stationed in Junon for the longest time acting as a weapons procurement officer. This is actually my first time in Midgar and most likely you would only know my code name, not my actual name or face." You explained as you set the mask down on Lazard's desk and leaned against it.  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"Lady Mage." You said simply.  
  
That got their attention.  
  
"THE lady mage?" Sephiroth raised his brow. Even he had heard that name before as one of Shinra's most valuable and elite agents but even he had never had the priviledge of meeting the person. The Lady, as she was sometimes referred to was the most powerful mage in the world, a master of materia and someone who's ability was so unusual and precious Shinra kept her on a tight leash, keeping her out of the public eye and only using her as a fail safe when missions were going awry. Unlike him, who was sent on the missions that were deemed to dangerous or impossible, she was like a avenging angel of the Shinra Army who both saved lives and took them indescriminatly.  
  
"Yes that's right." You nodded and smiled but your small stature, thin frame and girlish face was in direct opposition to the legend that had build up around you. "I know, I'm not what you expected."  
  
He frowned. "Admittedly so but I'm pleased to meet you none the less."  
  
You walked over and shook his hand getting a up close look at those fantastic green cat eyes of his. Mako eyes never failed to impress you even though yours were also a unusual shade. "Thank you. I've heard so much about the 3 of you and I look forward to working with you but I should warn you i'm a old bird and quite a stickler for decorum. Laziness will not be tolerated." You said as you looked them each up and down.  
  
"Well now that THAT'S smoothed over, I did call you all here for another reason. We have some news about Wutai thanks to (y/n)." Lazard clapped his hands together and sat down at this desk and computer, pushing a button that turned on the overhead projector as everyone sat down at the long table at the front side of the room.  
  
You were surprised when Angeal reached over to pull the nice leather chair out for you and pushed it in as you sat down. You hadn't expected that sort of manners from a Soldier but were instantly pleased and impressed. "Thank you Mr. Hewely."  
  
Genesis gave a small frown at you from the side as you all focused on the screen ahead and a map of Wutai displayed on the back wall.  
  
"As I'm sure you're all aware, the war in Wutai has already waged on for 6 years already and its been a slow going uphill battle. Up til now Shinra has been mobilizing its infantry while using the Turks as intelligence spies. Unfortunately though it looks like the war has taken a turn for the worst ." Lazard explained and then he nodded his head at you.  
  
"While I was there for several months I gathered some interesting intel." You took over and the picture changed. "Large stock piles of weapons were being horded, traded and smuggled across the main continent to Wutai. Where they're coming from....unfortunately it looks like someone in Junon and Midgar is supplying the enemy with our own tech. There has been a major investigation into the matter but this doesnt help us any, the war has already dragged on too long and frankly there is a shortage of manpower these days."  
  
"The President is considering mobilizing you three." Lazard warned. "We need to be prepared for this and we will have a final decision in the next few months but in the meantime you all need to prepare for the possibility of seeing active duty."  
  
Out of the corner of your eye you saw Genesis staring at you intently. He was using the moment to measure you up, check you out and scrutinize you since you had your eyes on the screen. Indeed, he was looking at your strange colored hair and wondering if that was real or dyed. When you turned your head to face him he quickly averted his gaze.   
  
"I also want to point out...that weaponry has a connection to the terrorist group Avalanche that's been causing problems. In fact, i'm fairly certain they are the ones supplying the Wushang." You added.  
  
"Avalanche is the gift that keeps giving." Genesis said under his breath. That eco terrorist group had already caused them enough problems in the past and were always a potential threat. Luckily their funding was low, manpower was nill and while many people in the slums supported them, the ones above the plate largely saw them as a nuisance.  
  
"As always you all should keep up with your training but in the meantime until we get any further word from above, things will be slow around here. Its a good time for you Ms. (y/n) to adjust to your new surroundings." Lazard stood up and pulled a large metal case out from under his desk he walked over and set it down in front of you, threw back the locks and opened it up.   
  
You gasped when you saw what was inside and stood up quickly to inspect the contents. Inside was a set of silver carbon filigree gauntlets with materia slots on each hand and a plated corset with the Soldier Symbol embossed in gold. It matched your over all costume and you were pleased as peaches to have it. "They're beautiful Lazard!!  
  
"Customized to your specifications. Oh, and the President says it was no small feat having this made, please be gentle with them." He joked.  
  
You closed the lid and hugged the case tight to your chest then gave a small salute. "Of course."  
  
"That's all for now. Have you had any time to settle in?" He asked.  
  
You shook your head. "Not at all, The minute I got here you ordered me to play with them." You pointed a finger at the 3 men on either side of you. "I think my personal items arrived this morning though."  
  
"Oh then you should go check out your new office. "Lazard said cheerfully. "Its beneath this floor, south wing."  
  
"I"m probably going to get lost." You admitted since this was your first time in this building.  
  
"Right, you've never been here before...uh...Angeal? Can you show her the way?" He asked off handed as he picked up some papers from his desk.  
  
Angeal and everyone else stood up. "Follow me." He smiled and gestured to the door.  
  
"Come visit my office anytime." You smiled to Sephiroth and Genesis and exited with the Soldier in blue.  
  
*********  
  
Sephiroth and Genesis left the meeting room and were walking down the hall when Genesis had to vocally give his appraisal of the new comer who just waltzed her way into their lives.  
  
"What is with her hair?" he asked.  
  
"You don't like her do you?" Sephiroth smirked sensing the disdain in Genesis voice.  
  
"She nearly wiped the floor with all 3 of us."  
  
"Doesn't that excite you?"  
  
"Why should it?"  
  
"It's surprising and unexpected, plus she seems well mannered and likable." Sephiroth said. "Its not often we have a female of that sort of calibur come into our lives, I should think its a good opportunity.  
  
"She only gets seniority because she is older than us." Genesis pointed out.  
  
"You're just angry she got the better of you." Smirked Sephiroth. "Plus I know your type and she's right up your alley."  
  
Genesis tried hard to hold back his indignation. "Speak for yourself. Mr. Oh its so exciting to have a women around who can kick my ass."  
  
*********  
  
"I hope there's no hard feelings." You said as you and Angeal entered the lift and hit the button for the 44th floor.  
  
"None at all, in fact that's been one of the more exciting fights I've had in a while." Angeal admitted.  
  
"That's good, the last thing I want is the 3 top brass mad at me." You joked.  
  
You two exited and walked down the hall to a open door and stepped inside. Your new office was small and cozy, about 10x10 square with a large window overlooking Midgar. A empty desk sat on one side and a leather sofa on the other side. Other than those two amenities the room was totally blank and newly cleaned.  
  
"The view if perfect." You said as you approached the window and took a long look out.  
  
"So you were in Junon before this?" Angeal reconfirmed.  
  
"Yeah I was there for almost 5 years." You said as you noticed a large card board box sitting in the corner. Most likely it was your items delivered this morning. You grabbed the box and put it on the desk as you began to pull out its contents and set them out.  
  
"Tell me about you Mr. Hewely." You asked as you unpacked.  
  
"Please call me Angeal." he said quickly. "How should I address you?"  
  
"You can call me anything you like." You said jokingly and then caught yourself. "Sorry that came out wrong, What I meant is you can call me by any title, I don't really care about it just don't use Ma'am. I can't stand that word."  
  
He gave a small laugh. "Alright."  
  
"Your hometown?" You asked.  
  
"Banora."   
  
That made you stop and wonder. Banora, you had heard that name before many times and it always gave you a odd feeling but you could never remember why and always shook it off. "That place is famous for Apples right? Dumb Apples? Why do they call it that?"  
  
"They grow at various times in the year and no one can predict its season." He explained.  
  
"Maybe they're trying not to get eaten." you laughed.   
  
He had to laugh too at such a cute response. In fact, your over all friendliness and quick wit was a breath of fresh air and not what he expected from someone with a code name like "The Lady." but he could also see you had a certain air about you that indicated intellect and a touch of nobility. You could have been a woman of high upbringing though you presented yourself in a rather simple and stern way. He immediately liked you.  
  
"Where are you from Miss?" He asked.  
  
"Cosmo Canyon."   
  
That surprised him. The canyon people were largely scholars and rigid pacifists so having a high level mage working for Shinra seemed out of character, but who was he to judge, he grew up in a farming community.  
  
The next question he just had to ask. "Forgive the question but is that your real color?" He pointed to your locks.  
  
You ran a hand through your hair. "Yeah its real. It's the mark of a Grand Mage."  
  
"Grand Mage?" He raised a brow.  
  
"A title given to the most power mage on earth by the Canyon People. You can think of us as a arch magus of sorts. All Grand Mages tend to have extreme features or something odd about them....kind of like how Soldiers all have glowing eyes." You pointed out and dusted your hands off with the last of your items on your desk then turned to him. "Well that's all for now. I'm going to need a coffee machine, a lamp and a few other things. Do you have other duties today?"  
  
"Actually yes, I have some 3rd class students to train."  
  
"Then I wont keep you. Thanks for your help Angeal and please feel free to visit me anytime. I'll have coffee waiting." You reached out to shake his hand.   
  
"Much obliged (y/n). " he firmly shook your hand and then turned to go but as he did you made sure to catch and eyeful of his broad shoulders and curvy backside. What could you say, soldier boys just did it for you.


	3. Crackdown

The past month at the head quarters was more or less how you imagines, rather boring. Other than going out into the city and exploring on your days off the rest of your time was spend helping Lazard file reports, sort out Soldier business and responding to whatever aid was needed around the area in general. Things had been quiet with no Wutai news or Avalanche issues so you used that time to get to know the folks in the building. You had already made friends with the cafe barista down in the lobby as well as most folks in the science department and Soldier wing.  
  
There was one guy though you actively avoided and that was Hojo, the head scientist on the 68th floor. He creeped you out to no end and frankly you had problems with him in the past when you first entered into the company. You did everything in your power to not be around him or even look at him considering he had tried to conscript you into the lab the moment he met you and the look in his eyes then was not just dark, it was crazy, like sociopathic crazy. He could carve up a human being six ways to Sunday and not show any remorse for it and the stories that abound about him and his experiments left nothing to the imagination. His whole aura and demeanor was shady, secretive and creepy and you knew right from the get go he was bad news. Luckily, because of your status as a Grand Mage, Shinra had other plans for you and you were effectively "off limits" to him and his perverse machinations.  
  
Then, someone you were _more_ than happy to see every now and then knocked on your door and entered. Sephiroth had a file folder in one hand and slapped it down on your desk.  
  
"Gear up, you and I are going out." He said simply.  
  
You were sitting in your chair at your desk typing and looked at the file before looking at him with a raised brow. "Things must be horrible if you need to ask for _my_ help."  
  
"Its not my decision. Lazard decided to pair us up." He shrugged but gave a half hearted smile.   
  
"Way to make a girl feel special, man." You said sarcastically and opened the file. The photo on the front page showed a mean looking guy with a thick leather jacket, khaki pants and a lot of tattoos on his face. He looked trashy in a drug lordish kind of way but you also knew who he was. "Lucian Pride."  
  
"You know him?"  
  
"Yeah the Turks had some issues with his drug smuggling down in Junon and frankly we were all pretty sure he was part of the smuggling going on with the weapons in Wutai. Wasn't the body guard of Don Corneo?" You explained.  
  
"Ex Body guard, Corneo cut him loose the minute Shinra caught wind something was going on. We're going to arrest him." Sephiroth pointed out.  
  
You gave a questioning look. "The police can't handle this?"  
  
"He already killed 10 and the security forces aren't having any luck tracking him down. I think I might know where he's hiding out. So....want go or not?"  
  
You stood up and pulled your gear case out from under your desk, flipped it open and put on your gauntlets, your crown and your waist belt over your normal clothing. The minute you put the mask on your clothing warped into your gold and white battle suit. "Lead the way, good sir."  
  
"How do you do that?" He asked.  
  
"What? The clothes? That's a secret." You joked.  
  
"The mask then?" He pointed to it. You pulled it off and promptly put it over his own eyes the way someone would put sunglasses on. Through the eye holes he saw a data feed going through with information, objectives and images and anything you focused on. It was a lot like the DMW (digital mind wave) system they used on their phones to communicate only yours was directly in your line of sight along with everything else. It was also something totally new and not used by other soldiers.  
  
"How did you get this?" He asked with genuine curiosity as he looked about the room and at you.  
  
"Its experimental technology called the Sensitive Dive but this is the first version of it so far, its incredibly infantile so it doesn't do much other than feed records to me. In the future Shinra wants to try a direct link to the human brain and the data system but so far the science department has kept this on hold. No funding." You shrugged.  
  
He took it off and handed it back to you. "Is that how you were able to analyze my moves the first time we fought?"  
  
"Kind of....."You said coyly.  
  
He shook his head and chuckled. "Let's go going."  
  
***********  
  
It was about 8pm a night and well past dark as the two of you darted across the city. Honestly you had no idea where you were going and simply followed behind your companion as you followed the roads and rooftops to sector 2 which was more or less a warehouse district. With a few lamps lit along the way you stopped in the shadow of a large building with the number 5 on its hanger like front. It was a storage facility but according to your data had been abandoned for years due to ware and tear but the trucks going in and out the front rusty garage door told a different story. All the trucks coming in and out were unmarked.  
  
"What do we have here...?" You asked as you used your headset to zoom in.  
  
"Caught in the middle of the act." Sephiroth confirmed as you two hid in the shadows. When the coast was clear you snuck up to one of the side doors and quietly opened it before stepping inside. The area was dark but the hallways lights in the distance gave you at least some idea where you were going. When you reached the end of the derelict hall it opened up into the main warehouse where some goons were packing things away and crating things on the back of the big trucks. You two easily hid amongst the boxes and crawled your way closer when you saw the man you were looking for.  
  
He was barking orders at his men in the center of it all, talking in a voice that held a hint of a accent that he desperately tried to hide. You had heard an accent like that before and it troubled you. He looked Midgarian enough though and you quickly scanned the area. 10 men total at various points around the room, some on the catwalks above and a few down below manning the trucks.  
  
"10 total, 6 on the catwalks with automatic weapons, 4 below including Lucian." You whispered.  
  
Sephiroth made a thoughtful noise. "Shall we do this the stealthy way or the diplomatic way?"  
  
You frowned. "What on earth do you mean "Diplomatic" way?"  
  
He gave you a very mischevious smile that was surprisingly human, cocky and bone chilling all at once. You swallowed hard as he suddenly stood up and walked casually towards the group of men.  
  
Of course they spotted him and guns were immidiately pointed in his direction.  
  
"Who goes?!" Someone shouted as guns flew out into the open and the boss man, Lucian, whirled around.  
  
"Sephiroth?!" He gasped.  
  
"Well Lucian, You've outdone yourself this time." Sephiroth remarked as he jutted his jaw towards the convoy.  
  
"I was expecting SHinra to send someone....but I'm surprised they sent someone like you." He sneered. "Things must be lax as fuck at HQ."  
  
"Are you going to remedy that by starting a war?"  
  
"Ah so you know...yeah these weapons are going to the Wushang." He admitted.  
  
"Thanks for the fast confession, shall we get going then?" Sephiroth pulled out his sword and got into a fighting stance.  
  
"You really think I'm going to surrender?" Lucian spat on the ground.  
  
"Not at all." Sephiroth smirked.  
  
"Let's see how well you do against bullets then pretty boy!" Lucian shouted as his team opened fire from all angles. You jumped out of hiding and with amazingly fast reflexes and a bit of phasing magic were suddenly at your companion's back. With your hand held high the bullets hit your glass like shield and were held in place, suspended in time and space. On your lips, you had the biggest frown ever and shook your head at that man who gasped and backed up a step or two as you stepped out from around Sephiroth.  
  
You lowered your hand and the bullets dropped to floor making many small pings as they did.  
  
"Who the hell....?!" Lucian freaked out.  
  
"I don't give my name to thugs." You remarked.  
  
Sephiroth suddenly said. "Y/n Jump!" You didnt have time to register that as you obeyed his command and you both leapt in the air as something struck and exploded under your feet. With strength like yours and his you easily jumped about 20 feet into the air, almost hitting the warehouse ceiling as you turned to see someone on the catwalk with a rocket launcher pointing straight at you.  
  
The back end of the launcher fired and another shell came whizzing through the air but Sephiroth cleaved it cleanly in two with his long sword as you began to fall back down. You knew what you had to do.  
  
"Take em out!" You quickly shouted as you laced your hands together the way one would in praying and when you hit the ground in a cat like manner your pounded your laced hands into the ground as a shock wave shot out from them causing the floor to ripple, screech, tear and up heave in waves. Your quake spell tore up the room in such a way that every man in it was thrown off balance or up into the air as Sephiroth's sword flashed out and made quick work of each of them. Suddenly Lucian Pride was the last man standing.  
  
You two said nothing as you stalked over to him and he looked like he was ready to wet himself.  
  
He threw up his hands. "Wait wait!!!!! Let's be reasonable! You let me go, I give you whatever you want." He said as his accent suddenly came through and that made you stop in your tracks.  
  
"Say that again?" You asked.  
  
"Whatever you want?! You want money? I get it for you, anything! Just let me go!" He pleaded and got on his knees to show he meant no harm and was serious.  
  
"You're from Cosmo Canyon." You stated and it was not a friendly tone.  
  
"What of it." He said.  
  
"Where are these weapons going?" You asked.  
  
"To the Wushang of course."  
  
"Via?"  
  
"Through Junon, to Costa Del sol then through the canyon to the west shore."  
  
"There is no junction point beyond the canyon until you get to Rocket Town." You said in a stern voice. "Is your last destination the canyon?"  
  
"Ah you are a smart cookie. Alright it goes through the Natak Caves." He grinned.  
  
Your heart nearly stopped and you had to fight to keep from panicking. The Natak or GI caves were the most sacred and holy place to the Canyon People. They would die defending it from intruders, even thugs like this and even Shinra Personnel if they were hot on the trail of this piece of trash. That put the whole canyon at risk and everyone who lived in Cosmo Village. Could it be there was already a smuggling network going through there now that you were unaware of?  
  
"Oh shit...." You said under your breath and Sephiroth glanced at you, sensing your fear.  
  
"Why would you care?" Lucian sneered and then he caught on quickly. "Oh fuck, you're her! The Grand Mage?! Working for Shinra?! You kidding me?! What would Nanaki think if he knew his sister was....!?" He burst out into laughter and you promptly punched him hard in the jaw so that blood bursted from his bottom lip as his head jolted to the side.   
  
Suddenly the overhead lights turned out and the front hanger door was thrown open. With flood lights shinning right on all 3 of you, the Turks were suddenly on scene and grappling Lucian to the ground while hand cuffing him. Someone walk around them and approached you. His semi long back hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail and sporting a very nicely pressed black suit with matching tie. He was the spitting image of business perfection.  
  
"Sorry for the intrusion but we will take over things from here." He said in a very calm voice.  
  
"What was the point of us going through all this if you were all going to show up in the end anyway?" You asked.  
  
"Saves us time and manpower." He said simply. "You took out his gang in less than 10 seconds."  
  
You rolled your eyes and shook your head.  
  
"We will send in our report as soon as we return." Sephiroth said and walked away and when you turned to follow Tseng stopped you.  
  
"By the way, a few of the men have been asking about you. I will inform them that you are well."  
  
"Its nice to see you too Tseng." You smiled apologetically and walked away. By "a few men" He really meant himself. He was the one who recruited you into Shinra and you had an interesting history with him though your feelings towards each other were complicated at best. Tseng took his job way to seriously and you wondered what sort of information he would pry from Lucian, hoping to god whatever he said kept the canyon out of the picture. You couldnt dwell on that too much without giving too much of yourself away to your new companions so you held your tongue and pushed it all from your mind as you followed after Sephiroth.  
  
*********  
  
"Angeal told me you grew up on the Canyon." Sephiroth remarked as you two walked along the pathway leading up to the Shinra building.  
  
"Angeal told you?" You raised a brow at the thought of those two discussing you in any private capacity but it kind of pleased you too.  
  
"Are you worried?"  
  
"Yes and No." You said honestly.   
  
"Do you have family there?"  
  
"Yeah. My grandpa and my....."brother" lives there." You said carefully.  
  
"Why did you leave?"  
  
"Why all the questions?" You replied.  
  
"Just curious."  
  
"Why not tell me about yourself." You changed the subject as you two entered the building. It was too late for anyone to be working and though the lobby was open, it was dead quiet inside.  
  
"There isn't much to tell." He shrugged.  
  
"I doubt that." You said as you to entered the lift.  
  
"I was raised within Shinra." And that pretty much said it all. He had no family and no hometown as was often the case with some members of the Turks and Soldier who were orphaned or abandoned. That made this conversation both difficult and touchy.  
  
"Oh...I'm sorry." You began and then wanted to change the subject for the long ride up. "Hey, I bet I can figure out a lot about your just by your birthday."  
  
"How so?" He raised a brow.  
  
"I studied astrology for a while as part of my duty in the Cosmo Tribe. I can analyze people based on that." You offered.  
  
The fact is, Sephiroth didn't even know his real birthday since he was born within Shinra but he was curious what you would say. "Alright, what am I?"  
  
"Your sun sign is Aquarius and your moon is Cancer, for sure." You said confidently. "Your ruling planet is Uranus which is surprisingly associated with rebellion and your element is air. Your strength is that you are original, independent and progressive but your weakness is being aloof, shying away from emotions and dealing with loneliness and dull people. Aquarius is one of the most intellectual signs in the Zodiac so you like anything that stimulates your mind and you cant deal with boredom very well which is probably why you decided to take this mission considering you could have veto'd it."  
  
He had to laugh at that. "You seem to have it all figured out then. So what does the Cancer moon thing mean?"  
  
"Your moon sign is how you react under stress or when you're, say, in love. Cancer is a water sign and highly emotional but your sun sign Aquarius keeps that in check. Cancer longs for comfort type things, such as a warm home, a family or even a mother figure. Its strength is loyalty and pursuasiveness but its downside is it can be manipulative. " You explained.  
  
He watched your for a moment and measured your words. Actually what you said hit closer to home than he expected and though it impressed and intrigued him it also made him feel a bit insecure that you could see right through him in a way he couldn't even see himself. It was an odd feeling and he wasn't sure how to react to it. He kept his cool.  
  
"That's some interesting ideas." He said cooly. "But how about you?"  
  
"Me? I'm Virgo Sun, Libra Moon. In other words, I'm enchantingly seductive." You grinned as the door to your floor opened and you stepped out. "Have a good a night." You waved as you walked down the hall leaving him to ponder your joke.


	4. The Loveless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a one shot chapter, just character building with the soldier boys! My personal headcanon is that Genesis is affluent and educated, but has a hard time dealing with his feelings especially since he idolizes Sephiroth so much and tries so hard to achieve the same greatness. So when it comes to the OC, her having humiliated his pride, he can be quite a dick to her and she gives what she receives so they have a hard time getting along.

Genesis Rhapsodos, aside from being the son of a wealthy landlord, a 1st class Soldier, popular with the ladies and living along side Angeal (his best friend from Banora), he was also a very skilled pianist. He often took time out of his day to play the grand piano that was wheeled into the soldier floor lobby by the big glass windows over looking Midgar just for him. This afternoon was no different and there he was, with his Loveless book beside him, playing one of the musical scores from the latest stage adaptation. 

Though you loved books yourself you had never read The Loveless and didn't have any particular interest in it since it was poetry. This unfortunately made it hard for you to connect with the Crimson Soldier and up till now your interactions with him were few and far between. Perhaps he disliked you or it was simply that you two had nothing in common. Whatever the case, he was hard for you to understand and his poetic-dramatic nature was against your realistic-sarcastic one.

He finished playing his tune, got up and walked off to another part of the floor as you came by. You were helping Lazard today order new supplies for the soldiers but you stopped at the Piano and stared that the book he left on its top. The white leather bound casing and gold lettering was attractive so you picked it up and gingerly flipped through a few pages. 

"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end  
The goddess descends from the sky  
Wings of light and dark spread afar  
She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting." You read quietly to yourself, tilting your head to one side and trying to ponder what it meant. For some odd reason it sounded familiar but you had never once set eyes on this book.

So you continued on:  
"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess  
We seek it thus, and take to the sky  
Ripples form on the water's surface  
The wandering soul knows no rest." As you read a growing feeling of discomfort began in the pit of your stomach. Something a kin to anxiety or panic, or the extra strong cup of coffee you had this morning. Whatever the case, you were starting to feel physically ill reading it and had a sudden whirl of vertigo. You caught the edge of the Piano to keep from toppling over.

"Something catch your eye there?" Said a calm and beguiling voice. You whirled around and found the owner of the book had returned to his instrument.

You shook your head and re grounded yourself. "Sorry, I was just wondering what this was." You set the book back down but Genesis couldn't help but notice your pale complexion. 

He raised a curious brow to you. "You've never heard of the Loveless?"

"I know what it is but I've never read it." You shrugged.

He pursed his lips for a moment. "You and I have never really had a chance to talk."

"Not really."

"Sephiroth speaks highly of you." He said as he sat back down at his piano.

"Does he now?"

"As does Angeal. So I want to know, other than your magical wonders, what makes you so special?" Though the phrase sounded condescending by nature his neutral voice softened the blow.

"Not a damn thing." You said candidly and he began playing softly.

"What interests you?" he asked while playing.

"Normal things I guess...walking around town, eating out...." You hesitated to say because frankly you didn't find yourself or your hobbies all that interesting.

"Can you sing?"

"What? Why do you ask?"

"Do you know the words to this song?" He tossed you the sheet music and is was the Goddess Requiem from Loveless.

"Yes but...I had no idea it was part of the LOVELESS play. I thought it was some weird church hymn." You confessed.

"Sing it." he commanded.

"Excuse me?"

"Sing it." he repeated.

"No." You said simply

"Too shy?"

"No I just don't see the point." You countered.

"The point is....I want to hear YOU sing it." He said in a tone you didn't like. He was a pushy son of bitch and that was very unattractive to you.

"Mind the attitude Genesis." You warned.

"Sing it and I'll treat you to something in the cafe." He suddenly offered.

"That sounds more like it but the answer is still no."

He slammed his hands down on the keys in anger, stood up and leaned over the keyboard onto the hood with his elbows. "Why are you so difficult?"

"Why are you so pushy?" You gave him the stink eye.

"I'm trying to reach out and form some sort of bond with you. This is the only thing I can think of that we might have in common." He explained. Oh. That caught you off guard that he was actually trying to get to know you in his own way. You honestly would have preferred something more traditional like a coffee chat but go figure, Genesis had to always do things to the beat of a different drum. He was very rebellious and had a chip off his shoulder.

"How about your try being a gentlemen first." You warned sternly.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Wow you are just like Angeal...Okay...Let me start over. Ms. (y/n) would you please be so kind as to sing for me." and then he gave you best dashing smile.

You gave a long sigh and finally conceded. Actually you were a very good singer and often went Karaoke on your own and with friends, but you intentionally left that out of your list of hobbies so that he wouldn't expect too much from you.

"It's going to sound terrible." You warned as you motioned for him to start playing. He gave a small smile and sat back down then started the song.

"The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom,  
And her language shall be spoken in judgment.

Blessed is he who suffers temptation,  
Since he, with approval, shall receive the crown of life.

Goddess, spring of goodness.  
Goddess, heavenly fire, have mercy.

Oh how holy, how serene,  
How kind, how pleasant the virgin is believed to be.  
Oh, how holy, how serene,  
How kind, how pleasant  
Oh, lily of chastity."

As you sang the song again, it was after all a hymn and not too complicated, Genesis listened to the quality of your voice and how it perfectly matched the notes he was playing. You were able to sing both high and low notes with a bit of vibrato which meant you had some experience or at least knowledge of operatic tones. Perhaps in your childhood you had been in a choir or even taken a lesson or two, what ever the case he was surprised to hear that quality of singing come from someone who claimed to have zero talents. He felt his feelings shift a bit about you and he was very curious.

"Where did you learn to sing like that?" He asked at the end of the song.

You shrugged. "I have no idea, I just play around with my friends at the Karaoke joint."

"It was sublime."

"Glad you felt that way." You said passing the sheet back to him.

"Can you do it one more time?" He pleaded.

"Are you serious?" You laughed.

"Please, my lady." He motioned to the bench he was sitting on and wanted you to take a seat with him on it. You sighed and sat down next to him so you two were shoulder to shoulder and he began again.

*********

Lazard and Angeal were going over the finer points of the 3rd classies training regime when they heard soft music and singing coming from across the floor. Both their ears perked up and they looked at each other.

"Is that Genesis playing again?" Lazard asked.

"He has company." Angeal pointed out as they quietly poked their head out of the doorway and saw you two sitting at the Piano in the lobby. It was a intimate picture of two people sitting together at the instrument and entirely odd. Angeal felt a passing resentment from Genesis towards you but he was happy to see that perhaps you two had managed to build some bridge over the huge gap in your personalities. But he also had to wonder where this was going. Genesis was rather popular with girls and had, on several occasions, dated plenty. Not that it was a problem, but you were far too straightforward and smart to really fall for any of his tricks but once Genesis set his eyes on something, he rarely ever forgot about it. It could be a blessing on one hand and a danger on the other. Angeal would have to keep an eye on him.

"Looks like Genesis found his muse." Lazard smiled.

"That's what I'm worried about." Angeal confessed and Lazard glanced at him carefully as they watched you two continue. Angeal had to admit though that you had a lovely singing voice and he enjoyed the hymn thoroughly.


	5. Paper Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angeal us ultimate bestest Husbando! Hes too good for this world!

"Damn I missed the last train home...."You cursed yourself as you checked your pocket watch and headed towards the exit of the Shinra building. It was already midnight and the last train to sector 4, your home area, ended at exactly 11:45PM leaving you with two options. One, you could sleep in your office. Which you often did when either you were too lazy too go home or too swamped with work to leave. Two, you could walk which was about a 1 hour trek across town. To make matters worse you were hungry and it had just started raining. You opened your canvas tote bag and fished around for umbrella that wasn't there and then you suddenly remembered you had left it near the shoe rack in your small apartment. Feeling like and idiot you turned around to head back to the office and saw Angeal coming out the front glass automatic doors.  
  
He was out of his uniform and in a simple pair of blue jeans, black work boots and black t shirt. It was so simple but manly and just the way you liked to see your men. Not that you didnt mind the finer trappings of their uniforms, Sephiroth's especially, but when it came to who you were attracted to on a potential partner level, simple was best. Simple was reliable and wouldn't let you down. You were too busy to put up with drama or someone's ego so the steadier a man was the better.  
  
He spotted you hiding under the awning and remarked. "Why are you here so late?"  
  
"I lost track of time and missed the train...annnnnd I forgot my stupid umbrella." You laughed at your clumsiness.  
  
"You're not seriously going to sleep in your office again are you?" He had already caught you once before out cold on your couch and warned you it would be bad for your back if you continued to do so.  
  
You laughed nervously. "Not if your going to scold me."  
  
He smiled his good old boy smile and shook his head. "Here, I have an umbrella. Let me walk you home. You live in sector 4 right?"  
  
You paused and felt a touch of heat on your cheeks. "Yes, how about you?"  
  
"I live with Genesis on the south end of the same sector. Don't worry its not out of the way." He popped open his wide black umbrella and offered you his arm. God what a gentlemen! The total opposite of his pushy arrogant room mate.  
  
You looked at the well defined arm for a moment and then took it with one hand as you two stepped out into the rain. "Sorry to be a pain."  
  
"Don't be sorry. I've seen what you do around Shinra and how hard you work." He smiled.  
  
"Why were you here so late?"  
  
"I had a extra training session with one of my underlings."  
  
"How many students do you have?"  
  
"Only a handful but one in particular needs some special care. He has the potential to be a great Soldier but at this point is a bit restless and immature. Kind of like a puppy dog." He joked.  
  
"You were probably the same when you were younger." You pointed out.  
  
He gave a casual shrug and soft laugh. "I won't deny I was a rambunctious child. How about you?"  
  
You had to think on it. Actually you didn't know your childhood and had no memories prior to living in the Canyon. The furthest memory you had was of 15 years ago and you were already in your 20's by that point. It vexed you that you had amnesia but no matter how far your prodded your own mind nothing ever came up.  
  
"Y/n?" Angeal looked at your when you didn't answer.  
  
You snapped out of it. "Oh? Uh, Me? I suppose I was just sort of normal. Did you always want to be a soldier?"  
  
"I didn't have much of a choice because of my father." He confessed.  
  
"I see, do you regret it?"  
  
"Not at all. I'm very proud of what I do and the people I've met."  
  
"Hmmmmm." That made you stop to wonder how you personally felt about being in Shinra. You hadn't really ever gave it much thought as it was the most natural course to take at the time and your only option. The fact was, your leaving the Canyon was a rather complicated subject and not one you wanted to share with anyone but regardless of how that turned out, you had to wonder if you wouldn't of joined anyway just out of sheer curiosity and boredom.  
  
Just when you were about the ask another question your stomach jumped the gun and proclaimed its hunger to the world and you tried to hide it in embarrasment.  
  
"When was the last time you ate?" He asked.  
  
"I had lunch at 2ish."  
  
"That was 10 hours ago!" He scolded you.  
  
"Its normal for me to only eat once or twice a day." You shrugged.  
  
"That's why you're so skinny. You might not be a Soldier but you should still eat like one." He went on.  
  
"Yes sir!" You saluted him with your free hand.  
  
A small diner was open at the side of the road and totally empty except for one or two truckers at the bar. Angeal didn't even ask and pulled you towards it.  
  
"I'm not going to let you go home until you eat." He said sternly and you two entered. The one waitress on duty escorted you to a table and promptly handed you the menu.  
  
"Seriously you dont have to do this." You pleaded.  
  
"Nonsense! Order anything you like." He said as he looked at his own menu.  
  
The waitress came back before you knew it and you randomly picked something. Breakfast menu's were always good so you got Eggs, Bacon and a short stack of pancakes. Angeal ordered coffee and apple pie. When the two of you were alone again you grabbed one of the thick paper napkins and started folding it. It was a habit you had since you were often eating alone if you went out at all and had learned to make a few creations. At present you only knew how to make paper cranes and roses, so today was going to be roses.  
  
Angeal watched you silently as he sipped his drink and when you looked up, you two had a moment of locked eyes and you apologized. "I'm sorry...this is so rude of me!" You pushed the napkin away and folded your hands in front yourself politely. "I'm being a terrible conversationalist."  
  
"What were you making?"  
  
"Paper roses. Sorry, it's a bad habit of mine."  
  
"I don't think so but I have to wonder....are you alone most of the time?"  
  
"Generally yes." You admitted.  
  
"No room mates?"  
  
You shook your head.  
  
"Friends?" He dared to ask.  
  
"Sure, I have a few at the HQ and I hang out with the Turks every now and then."  
  
That relived him. "Good, I wouldn't want you to be Anti Social like another guy I know."  
  
"You mean Sephiroth." You laughed. "You know, he really isn't that bad. He just has no tolerance for idiocy."  
  
"You two seem to work well together." He remarked.  
  
"I don't mind him at all. In fact we seem to "get" each other in a odd way and we pair up nicely on the battlefield."  
  
"How about Genesis?"   
  
"I would describe him as petulant." You honestly said.  
  
He had to laugh at that. "That's a nicer way of saying asshole."  
  
You wiggled your eye brows. "I'm trying to be nice because he's your roomie. But seriously, I guess he's fine but he's so difficult for me to understand. I think he keeps a lot of secrets and has a lot of anger in himself."  
  
"Most of it's aimed at himself too." Angeal added.  
  
"I can see that."  
  
"You're a perceptive lady."  
  
"Thank you." You gave a small smile and your food came and you reached over for a new napkin.  
  
Angeal paused and stared at your chest, not your breasts but at the small red pointer light that criss crossed your body and suddenly stopped over your heart. He gasped, reacted instantly, grabbed your shirt front and ripped you to one side as a bullets tore through the diner and pierced the seat you had just been sitting in. Both of you ended up on the floor as glass showered you and the red pointer again moved across the floor towards you.  
  
You screamed some obscenity as you two scrambled up off the linoleum and ran across the place as more bullets ripped through and you two threw yourselves behind the counter as dishes, plates, cups and everything else in the way exploded into pieces.  
  
Angeal pulled out his phone and dialed a number quickly as you peeked around the corner and saw that sweet looking waitress who just served you walking slowly forward with a automatic rifle in her hand.  
  
"Shit its the waitress!" You whispered to your friend.  
  
"The waitress!?" He gave you a unbelieving look and picked up a in tact mug by his leg. He quickly stood up and chucked it right at her face and she fired back but in no particular direction.  
  
"We just need to wait it out till security comes." he said as he hunkered back down.  
  
"She'll shoot us up by then!" You hissed and looked around. You didn't have any equipment and materia on you but that didn't mean you were powerless or couldn't cast magic, a fact you were actively trying to hide up till now. But you couldn't catch bullets or slow them down without the materia which still put you at considerable risk.  
  
"I'll distract her and you go for her gun!" You commanded as you picked up a pile of dishes. He instantly knew what you were getting at and nodded. You stood up and started throwing everything and the kitchen sink at her as Angeal snuck down the back of the counter and tried to take her from behind. She spotted him and turned her rifle on him but was too slow for that seasoned soldier. He kicked out her legs from under her and as she fell, pulled the gun from her hands as she hit the floor hard and he planted one boot on her stomach and pointed the rifle down at her.  
  
"Don't make a move!" He commanded as she simply lay there.  
  
You came up behind him and stared down at her, the look she gave you was a nasty as could be possible so her targeting you was no accident. Also now that you got a very close look at her and were paying attention, you could see she was not exactly Midgarian and the ample amounts of makeup she wore was enough to cover the majority of her otherwise Wushan features.  
  
"You're from Wutai." You simply stated and you shouted something at you in her native language. You didn't speak Wushan per se but you caught enough words to know what she meant.  
  
"Is this revenge?" You asked.  
  
"Stupid Shinra cow!" She cursed at you in English. "This is for the town of Yengwei!"  
  
Angeal glanced at your crest fallen face as you stepped back away from them both and klaxons sounded in the distance. The police had finally arrived and as they busted into the ripped up diner and seized the lady, Angeal handed the commandeered weapon to one of the officers. Then Tseng walked in.  
  
"You are always in the center of some interesting situations y/n." He noted as he measured the mess around him as one of the glass lampshades on the cieling fell to the floor in a nice after effect.  
  
"Sorry to wake you all up so late." You said apologetically.  
  
"So what was it?" He asked in regards to the lady.  
  
"Revenge for Yengwei." You said and he knew what you meant. He had been there when it happened.  
  
He went silent and stared at your for a moment before stating. "An assassination attempt then by Wutai then."  
  
"I'm in the dark here, what is Yengwei?" Angeal asked.  
  
You and Tseng glanced at each other and at Angeal. "It was a town that used to be on the south end of the Wutai Peninsula." He answered. "Come with me, I will drive you both back to HQ. Y/n is not safe out in public if this is what we think it is."  
  
And with that you all left.  
  
**********  
  
In your office, the three of you talked in privacy about what just happened.  
  
"Yengwei existed before the war started but in the first year it was wiped out." Tseng explained as you sat on the sofa and Angeal leaned against your window with his arms crossed over his chest. "Y/n's first campaign was waged there."  
  
"Shinra wanted to see if I was combat worthy so they sent me there as a testing ground stating that it was a strong hold for the Wushang. So I went, I fought, I conquered and I returned to Junon." You explained in the simplest terms possible.  
  
"The woman was from that town then?" Angeal asked.  
  
"Many people got killed there, both Wushang and Soldiers." You pointed out. "I swung the battle in Shinra's favor is all but it had a high price. She has every right to want revenge."  
  
"I've already informed Lazard about this but he says to lay low for a few days in case any one else has a agenda against you and if you really must go out, take a companion with you." Tseng warned as he headed towards the door. "I'll take care of any paperwork that comes your way, just stay out of trouble in the meantime."  
  
The door closed behind him and you two were alone and Angeal watched you carefully as you went to the small supply locker in the corner of the room and pulled out a blanket and pillow. He could tell that you were not proud of what happened in Yengwei and that you held some guilty feelings inside you. Most likely you were a rookie at the time too and didnt know how to react under pressure, he had seen it all before so he didnt push the subject.  
  
"I'm sorry dinner went so badly." You said sadly. "You were trying to do something nice for me and I ruined it."  
  
"You nearly got killed tonight, I think dinner would be the least of your worries." He pointed out.  
  
"I've been shot at plenty of times before but thank you for saving me. I"m glad to see chivalry is not dead amongst men in the world." You joked lightly.  
  
"An assassination attempt it not something to take likely."   
  
"You're right." You conceded as you unfurled your blanket and curled up on the sofa. "You don't have to stay with me the entire night, Angeal. Go home now."  
  
"I'm worried about you." He said openly.  
  
"I think i'm pretty safe here." You smiled as you shoved your pillow under your head.  
  
"That's not what I meant. You're a woman after all and someone just tried to kill you." Ah, he meant that you needed comfort and reassurance as the fairer of the two sexes.  
  
You raised a brow, smiled and threw back your blanket to invite him in. "Wanna cuddle?"  
  
His eyes widened and face turned red.  
  
"Or you can sit in the chair until I fall asleep." You laughed and pointed to your desk.  
  
"I'll uh....take the chair...."He stuttered as he sat down and relaxed.  
  
You re covered yourself and settled down for the night. "Good night Angeal."  
  
He looked over at you. "Good night."  
  
"Oh....this is for you." You said as you reached under the blankets, fished around and held out something white in your hand. He leaned over to see what it was and saw a very pretty folded napkin rose in your palm. Somehow, in all that hollabaloo, you had snagged it off the table before the bullets went flying and shoved it into your pocket.  
  
He took it from you and looked at it with wonder. You were always surprising them with these little talents of yours. Weather it was singing a Aria at Genesis Piano, Telling Sephiroth's fortune, or creating something from nothing, you always had a trick up your sleeve. He had to wonder where you learnt all this and admired your ingenuity. If he had to be totally honest with himself, you liked everything about your from how you looked, to how you dressed, to how you spoke and everything else. You were the perfect woman and the small paper rose was like a token of all those qualities. He would treasure that little trifle and use it as a reminder of all he strived to be and protect.  
  
He leaned back in to the chair and watched you drift off to sleep. 


	6. Avalanche Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some before crisis characters make their appearances!!!! (BC was the mobile based FF game released only in Japan, you can however, read the translated script online!)

"That gun she was using was not usual." You pointed out as you, the 3 first class soldiers and Lazard sat in his office discussing last nights events and you attempted assassination.

"We already had security forces look into, it was definatly Shinra issued. Which raises the question, how did she get it and where?" Lazard crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against his desk.

"Lucian had many convoys going in and out of the warehouse so theoretically countless weapons could be in circulation as of this moment." Sephiroth reminded everyone.

"This is becoming a terrible problem if specific members of Shinra are going to be targets which brings us to the reason why you were all called in here."

A knock came at the door and Tseng entered.

Lazard continued. "We might as well nip this problem in the bud now before it gets out of hand and end the war as soon as possible. If we cut their supply chain we can effectively snuff the Wushang as well as Avalanche out. Tseng here will give you the details."

"We've been tracking those convoys as well as interragating their ring leader Lucian Pride and we know for sure those weapons are leaving from Junon Harbor as well as which pier they're using so we are going to raid it. Y/n, Junon was you old stomping grounds so we want you to aid us." Tseng explained.

"Wouldn't I jeopordize you all with the fact I have a big target painted on my face right now?" You raised a brow.

"At present all members of Shinra who fought in the Yengwei front are. You'd be better off taking the initiative and pursing them then waiting around for another attempt. Plus we need someone who can protect us if the event calls for it. This really could get ugly."

"I would suggest you allow another of us to accompany her." Angeal suggested.

"She won't be going alone and will have my best men with her." Tseng assured him. "But just to be safe we would like another of you to be on standby. Would you like to volunteer?"

"Of course." Angeal nodded.

"Then we will move out at exactly 6pm. Meet me on the helipad." Tseng mentioned as he walked out.

"And we get left to rot...."Genesis said sarcastically.

"You two are needed here with the president." Lazard smirked and began filling out the necessary papers and protocol for your departure. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance on the battlefield eventually."

"Indeed I will, Even if the morrow is barren of Promise, nothing shall fore stall my return." He said poetically as he walked out.

Sephiroth smiled but rolled his eyes at the Loveless quote and turned to you. "Try not to make too much of a mess. I heard what you two did to the diner."

*********

With your uniform on and everything ready to go, you walked out of your office and nearly smacked right into to characters standing outside your door. Reno and Rude had come to collect you personally.

"Heya gorgeous." Reno winked at you. His flaming red hair was disheveled as always and his shirt untucked. He was such a misfit but apparently one of the best Turks Shinra had to offer, atleast of the younger crowd. Rude at least had enough crass to keep his lips sealed when he was around you and his sun glasses on. He simply stood there like a stick.

"Oh no....not you two again." You sighed. Actually these two youngin's were too much for your middle aged blood and you preferred a quieter crowd. Still, they were cute in their own way, just not in your kind of way.

"Ah don't be like that." Reno scratched his head. "We missed you!"

"Yeah right, why on earth are you two here?"

"Tseng says you arent to be walking around alone." Rude said in his casually deep voice.

"I think he meant outside of HQ...." You gave them a funny look.

"He said at all times."

"Wow.....okay well lead the way, lets get this over with." You said as you gestured for them to walk with you.

"I haven't forgotten the magical memories we made in Wutai, Lady Mage." Reno teased and Rude elbowed him hard.

"Memories? Oh you mean of you being passed out drunk half the time? Or the one where you went streaking through the bar in Junon because you were plastered? Or the one where you threw up all over yourself and Rude here had to wash you in the men's bathroom?" You recalled jokingly.

"Ohhhhhh God I love it when their feisty!" Reno cried out as you two walked onto the helipad and Tseng was waiting by the chopper.

"Where's Angeal?" You asked.

"He left ahead of us and is waiting there now. "Tseng offered you his hand and helped you into the back seat as the other two took the front with Reno piloting.

When you were airborne you and Tseng began to talk. "This brings back memories." You said off handed.

He looked at you and had a small smile. "The first time we met, I brought you back to Junon in vehicle like this. I'm surprised you ever agreed to come with us you know....I thought you would have put up more resistance."

"More resistance?" You laughed. "I took out a handful of your men and I didn't even have materia on me back then. I'm surprised you didn't try to kill me after that."

"Shinra thought your talents were too precious to waste."

"You thought I was too precious to waste." You pointed out.

He paused. "What makes you think that?"

"Veld told me himself the verdict was handed down to kill me if I didn't join or resisted. So you made the judgement call not to."

He cleared his throat. "My personal feelings had nothing to do with it."

"Of course, what was I thinking." You said playfully.

Then after a moment of silence he asked. "How are the Soldier Boys treating you these days?"

"Very well. I like them all very much."

"It seems you and Angeal have hit it off well, he did volunteer to back you up on this mission."

"He would do that for anyone." You shrugged.

"He also was with you in the Diner." Tseng pointed back.

"...That's true, I won't deny that. He even offered me his umbrella and his arm." You sighed like a girl in love, but it was all for show, you wanted to get a rise out of Tseng since he was so stone faced most of the time.

"You like the Gentlemanly type." He rolled his eyes.

"Obviously. I like you, after all."

He clamed up and straightened his tie as you burst into laughter. "Oh come on Tseng, you're always so darn serious."

"I'll say!" Reno called over his shoulder.

***********

Junon hadn't changed at all since you had left it but it was only a few months since you did so you expected nothing. It was a very bustling port town that acted as a major trade center and military base for the Shinra Army. Its biggest and most noticable feature was the abnormally large cannon that sat right smack in the middle of the city pointing out over the ocean as a warning to anyone in the world who dared to defy the company. And now you and about 10 other Turks were silently running down its empty streets and down towards the pier where the ships docked in at out.

When you got closer you two split up into two groups, one group heading off the actual ships and the other to the store warehouses to flank off anyone smuggling within. You were tasked to go with the group going to the ship.

As you approached the large tanker vessel being loaded by a team of people you all hid behind the closest container and Tseng, who was with you, met out some orders. "Y/n and I are going to take the bridge, you all clean up the dock here. If anyone resists, you have permission to use lethal force. We cant let these weapons leave Junon!"

Everyone nodded and you and here were sneaking your way down the side of the ship as the Turks jumped into action, very stealth like as they took out a large number of men and works, knocking them out, chocking them, whatever it took to get the job done and when thumbs up were give to you and Tseng, you two crawled up the small walkway that joined the pier and the boat and went in side.

Two men jumped out at you in the hallway and Tseng easily shot them down using a silencer on his pistol to muffle the noise as you continued on until you got to the bridge and promptly disabled anyone inside.

"Sir, there doesnt appear to be anything on this ship." Someone said on Tseng's PHS.

"That can't be...how about the upper ware house?" He asked.

"There are some boxes up here but....we don't exactly know whats inside. It's not weaponry."

"Explain." Tseng demanded as you walked over to the nagivation console and tinkered with it and you noticed some files next to the captains chair. Ruffling through it you saw a familiar photo of the Reactor in Gongaga, which had been in operation for years, as well as some drawings for a weapon you didnt recognize.

"Its like vials of liquid. It looks like Mako but it has other stuff in it too."

"Confiscate it as evidence." Tseng ordered.

As you read the drawings and tried to decipher its meaning you noticed one word that made your heart stop. Mythril. Which was a very dense material that had some magical nullifying properties to it. It could be wielded to weapons to make them stronger and if paired with materia could make spells more potent. There was just one issue, It also could cancel out any abilities you had as well as you discovered on accident when you were younger living in the Canyon. Which brought a very frightening revelation to you. There were only 2 places that mythril could be harvested, one was south of Midgar in the Mythril Caves beyond the giant Marsh to the south...and the other was Cosmo Canyon in the Natak Caves. These bastards were going to invade your homeland to get it.

You felt the first pang of panic as you gathered up the files hastily and Tseng watched you out of the corner of his eye. "What is it?"

"These guys...the wushang, avalanche...whatever they are, they're going to try to harvest mythril from the Canyon and use it for this weapon."

"Let me see." He grabbed the papers from you and flipped through them. "Dear god....its a nuetron bomb. They're going after Gongaga!"

You both looked at each other and then heard screaming over the intercom.

"Whats going on?! Come in?!" Tseng shouted into his phone as gunshots rang out. "Everyone get to the warehouse!" He ordered as you ran out onto the bridge and everyone below followed you down the street.

***********

You didn't even make it to the door of the warehouse when something burst forth from it ripping the hinges of the shed like door clean off and something ungodly crawled out. Whatever the heck it was, it wasnt pretty and looked like a Marlboro on steroids. With its gaping maw flashing double rows of razor teeth and chomping up and down in a threatening manner, you could only guess what poor soul had ended up being its first meal. It pulled it self along the ground with its tenticled hands towards the big group of Turks that were running away from it.

"Shoot it!!!!" Someone screamed and everyone who had a gun opened fire. This animal had nothing to fear from bullets because it was like a hydra, able to rejuvinate any part that was severed or damaged almost instantly and its sheer size was would make even the sharpest blade null and void against its plant flesh.

"Y/N!" Tseng shouted and you launched into action using any spell you thought might slow it down or hurt it. In general Marlboros were resistant against pretty much anything other than fire so you unleashed a hellstorm on it and got a reaction. It threw its arms in the air and screamed as it burned but this only infuriated it more. From its dripping teeth a fog like mist began to exude and it forced you back.

"Dont let the mist touch you!" You screamed as everyone backed away. The mist was poison and breathing it in would be fatal.

"Nothing seems to hurt it!" One of the Turks shouted.

"Where did it come from?!" You demanded.

"From the vials!"

"What?!"

"Someone dropped one and this thing grew out of it!!!!"

"Its lab grown...."You said to yourself as the thing started crawling towards you all again. "How many vials were there?!"

"There was 5 cases total!"

You looked at the men and women fighting and made a decision to to split. Running around the big green mutated plant and into the warehouse, you went straight for the vials and started flipping lids off all the boxes. No one would make a monster like that without some way to control it. Although, if they did the only one stupid enough to do it would be Hojo and something about this was remarkably up his alley.

Each case had different color vials and it was anyone's guess what they were but when you saw a particular green colored one with a strange symbol on it you had to guess that might be a sort of panacea and grabbed a whole armful of them. As you ran out you could have sworn you saw movement out of the corner of your eye but when nothing appeared in the immidiate area you continued back to your group. Unfortunately Marlboro had two members in its slimy tentacles and was ready to devour them whole.

You dropped the vials on the ground in a messy pile, picked one up and threw it like a baseball right into its mouth. The vial exploded and a type of green gas came out that irritated the beast and forced it to release its victims. They scrambled out of the way as it screeched and tried to clean its face with its arms. Your guess was right on the money.

"Weaken it with this!" You shouted and a few of the men around you began pelting the animals with the small vials of liquid, each one exploding in a small poof of green gas and causing the mutant to back up in pain and that's when you saw something white dart out in the corner of your vision. A man in a white trench coat was running away from the scene.

"Stop!!!!!" You screamed at the figure as Tseng also turned to see what you were seeing and you two charged after them.

"Take care of this!" Tseng pointed to the Marlboro and ordered his people as he ran along side you. He replaced his bullets and began firing at the person running away as they dashed around the corner and down another alley way.

"He's heading up town. Think you can handle it?" Tseng asked.

"Worry about your own people!" You said as you charged after the person using your amplified strength and speed to catch up. You saw the person take out a small injection gun and shoot something into their neck which gave them a sudden burst of speed that outmatched yours and then they jumped a defying 50 feet in the air up to another street level. You growled at yourself and followed.

**********

The man in the white coat ran down the end of the Junon Cannon with you in hot pursuit when he suddenly stopped. There was nowhere else for him to run so now was his chance to make his last stand or in his mind, his grand entrance. He turned around and you saw a young looking man with short black hair and glasses that could have easily passed for a Shinra scientist. 

"Who the hell are you?!" You demanded to know.

He gave you a sly smile and adjusted his glasses before addressing you. "Ms. Y/n I presume? This is a present from the resistance to you." Behind him a unmarked helicopter suddenly appeared above the cannon outlet and it had its guns and missiles pointing straight at you.

Everything seemed to launch at once and you threw up your best sheild as you ran forward but when the RPG rocket hit you the force knocked you back a good distance. When the smoke cleared enough for you to see, the man was climbing into the helicopter and they were turning away.

With some distance between you two, it was impossible to cast anything that would do them any substantial damage and had to chase after them. Tseng and Angeal were running down the cannon towards you and in Angeal's arms was a rocket launcher.

"Don't let them get away!" Tseng ordered as Angeal knelt down and shouldered the weapon, taking aim and getting ready to fire.

"Its no good their out of range!" He cursed.

"Not for long!" You shouted as the red materia in your fist glowed, runes appeared behind you and a portal opened up. From this portal, something a kin to giant beast like bird jumped out and flapped its wings. It was easily the size of a large truck and just as terrifying at the Marlboro left below. "Valfore! Lets fly!"

It threw back its head and gave a mighty roar as you climbed into its back and held a hand out for Angeal. "Come on!"

He stared at you for one moment and then grabbed on, swung a leg over the beast and the two of you took to the air. You heard him gasp as he grabbed your waist for safety and the creature beat its incredible wings and you raced towards the chopper with a speed that no vehicle could match. The beast was fast and strong as the tiny dot that was the helicopter started to get closer and closer as Angeal readjusted the rocket launcher on his shoulder and took aim again.

"A little closer!" He shouted over the wind.

Someone in the chopper stuck their head out the side window, along with a assault rifle as you tried to dodge the bullets in mid flight. Valfore screamed in anger as you rolled and bayed to the side, left to right, trying to avoid any damage to your loyal beast or your companion. 

Angeal's concentration didn't waver and at that critical moment, he pulled the trigger and the rocket shot forward with a small stream of smoke and fire shooting from its tail. It struck the back end of the helicopter and the machine started to spin out of control as it plummeted down into the ocean below. From high above it all, you two watch it crash into the ocean and burst into flames.

"Nice shot Angeal." You smiled over your shoulder and his face looked positively green.

"Oh my god...Dont throw up!" You cried out as your turned the beast around and b-lined it back to Junon.

When the creature landed, it lowered itself so you two could dismount and Angeal stumbled off of it nearly tripping over himself and falling to his knees as he lost his lunch over the pavement.

Valfore vanished into whisps of green energy as you tried to help your sea sick friend and you patted his back in sympathy. "Sorry that got so rough."

Once he was done heaving he wiped his mouth with the back of his glove. "Let's not ever do that again."

"I'll give you a advance warning next time." You smiled apologetically.

**********

A frozen image of the man you just fought displayed on the overhead projector, having been extracted and analyzed from your mask, which also doubled as a video recorder if needed.

"Who the heck is this character?" You asked as you crossed your arms over your chest and leaned against the back wall of the office.

"We've seen this man before, he calls himself Fuhito and as far as intelligence says; he's affiliated with Avalanche." Tseng explained.

"So the resistance he mentioned was that? I thought it would be the Wushang."

"I think its safe to say they are all working together for a mutual benefit."

You rolled your eyes. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Was he ever part of Shinra at one point?"

"Not that i'm aware of. Why do you ask?"

"Those monster vials and that sort of technology is tough to come by outside the Shinra Science labs."

"Are you suggesting someone is helping them?" Tseng asked carefully.

You shrugged. "Always a possibility. He does have a uncanny resemblence to Hojo."

"Its always something we'll look into of course." Tseng assured you. "But I think out immediate concern in the Mythril needed for the Nuetron Bomb. There are only two places where they can harvest it." And then he looked at you carefully. "One being Cosmo Canyon."

"Or the Narsh caves to the south."

He shook his head. "I dont think anyone could get through that area with all the Midgar Zoloms. In any case, I will have you two shuttled back to Midgar for now and hand all details to Lazard."

You nodded but felt horribly uncomfortable with all this and rubbed your arms as if you were cold.

"Are you okay?" Angeal asked, also standing next to you.

"Sure, I'm fine." You smiled but you were lying through your teeth. You were not okay and you began to wonder about the possibility of returning to the Canyon, which is something you hadn't planned for and for very good reasons.


	7. Shinra Company

_Summary of events thus far:  
Y/n was introduced to the Soldier Unit about 5 months ago and life within the company has been hectic. With the Wutai war still raging to the west and avalanche causing local problems in the east, personel and resources are running thin leaving Y/n to play the part of administrator, soldier and turk all in one. Her relationship with Sephiroth, Angeal and Genesis has progressed nicely and she gets along with all of them, aiding their missions and supporting them in anyway possible. However, days earlier a assassination attempt was made on her life by the Wushang (wutai resistance fighters) who somehow migrated their way into Midgar with help of Avalanche and are using each other to smuggle weapons across the country to fuel the resistance. Now it turns out that there may be a plan to detonate a Nuetron Bomb within the Gongaga Reactor and our characters are scrambling to beat Avalanche to the punch.  
  
_  
Genesis slashed at you as you gracefully back flipped out of way and landed feet from him then countered with a fireball. He easily smacked it away with his rapier and charged up the blade, beautiful red runes glowing down the side as he slashed down and a shock wave came flying towards you. You side stepped, flipped again and shot blades of light of your hands that homed in on him like prismatic missiles. He had to step back to gain enough space to dodge each one, but he did and then dropped his blade to show he was done.  
  
"Is that enough for today?" You called out across the paved floor. You two were on the roof doing some sparring, which you didn't really ever like doing but when done with him it was more like dancing, so you tolerated it when he asked you.  
  
"My phone is ringing." He said as he took put his PHS and flipped it open. "Lazard's calling."  
  
You relaxed and ran over to him as he spoke into his phone and then closed it. "Looks like he wants us in the office. You just can't catch break can you." He joked referring to both the diner and the Junon incident.  
  
"Trust me I really wish I could." You groaned.  
  
"What would they ever do without you?" He teased.  
  
"The same, they'd just throw it all onto you probably." You said back. Genesis was the only other magically gifted person in the company besides you only more versatile since he was also combat trained.  
  
"If It would make me a hero I would gladly do it." He confessed. That sounded strange. Someone as moody as him a hero?  
  
"You're already first class." You pointed out.  
  
"But I'm not as good as him." He said and by that he meant Sephiroth. It was no secret from you he has major Sephiroth envy and idolized the man in a way you couldn't quite grasp. All young men coming into Shinra aspired to be as strong as Sephiroth but the plain fact was, as of yet, it had never happened and his track record was unbeatable. But, you didn't want to break Genesis dream if that's what he really wanted.  
  
"In time." You said wisely.  
  
"If I became that strong...what would you do?" He suddenly asked and it caught you off guard. You looked at him a long moment.  
  
"I'm not sure what you're asking." You said.  
  
He shook his head. "Its nothing, never mind. We should get going." And with that strange cryptic comment you both headed down to the office. As you were coming down the staircase to the red carpeted floor below you saw a strange young man in a white suit walk by with Tseng, Reno and Rude. They didn't seem to notice you as they went by and continued to the President's office. The young man had very blonde short hair and reminded you of someone you knew.  
  
"Looks like Rufus is visiting today." Genesis remarked casually.  
  
"Rufus?"  
  
"He's the presidents only son and heir to the Shinra Legacy. He and the Turks are pretty close but honestly I heard he and his father don't see eye to eye on anything."  
  
"Is it just me or does he kind of look like someone we know?" You scratched your chin.  
  
Genesis raised a brow. "Not sure I follow."  
  
"Hmmmm...I might be mistaken." You shrugged and the two of you walked on.  
  
**********  
  
"We have two problems now that we have to tackle head on." Lazard explained. "We need to make sure that the Mythril hasn't been touched in either two locations and we need to head to Gongaga and secure the reactor. More than likely Avalanche already has operatives in each location if they are borrowing the Wushang as extra manpower. My proposal is to split everyone into 3 teams. Angeal should go to Marshe in the south with a few of the second and third class soldiers, Sephiroth and Genesis, I think you two should head to Gongaga and Y/n, You and the Turks will go to Cosmo Canyon."  
  
"I think I would better serve you joining Sephiroth and Genesis." You protested gently. "My abilities would be more useful against a nuetron bomb than investigating caves."  
  
"Tseng has requested you personally. Plus you know the Canyon better than anyone else. I'm sure your presence there would smooth things over with the tribe." Lazard pushed up his glasses.  
  
You paused for a moment and suddenly said. "I veto."  
  
Everyone turned to look at you as this was the first time you had ever protested orders.  
  
Lazard stared at you for a moment before asking. "May I ask why?"  
  
"Oh please you KNOW why." You stood up and placed your hands flat on the desk and gave him a stern look.  
  
"Whatever your personal feelings are in regards to the Canyon needs to be set aside now." Lazard warned.  
  
"If I go in there and they see me, you're going to have another war on your hands." You warned back.  
  
"You're the Grand Mage...." he began.  
  
"That's precisely why!" You shot back.  
  
By the point you could hear a pin drop in the room as everyone watched you carefully. You didn't often speak of your hometown, but when you did it was always positive and no one could guess that there would be any bad blood between you and the Tribe. You were the Grand Mage after all, a very high position in their society.  
  
Lazard was silent for a moment but gave in. "Alright. I will re arrange the pairing. Y/n will go with Genesis and Sephiroth to Gongaga. I will inform Tseng of the change."  
  
With that you closed out the meeting and headed out into the lobby but Genesis grabbed your arm. "Is there something you want to tell us?"  
  
You shook off the hand. "Not really." you replied flatly and headed towards the Elevator. When the doors opened the young blonde man in the white suit was there waiting. You gasped.  
  
"Going down Ms. Y/n?" He smiled and it was a handsome and cunning smile. This guy was dangerous in a lady killer kind of way.  
  
"You know my name?" You asked confused.  
  
"I saw you as you were coming down the stairs with the other Soldier and Tseng told me all about you. Please." He motioned you to come into the elevator and you did.  
  
"I'm afraid I've never heard of you before today." You apologized.  
  
"I keep my comings and goings here to a minimum." Rufus admitted. "But I wanted a chance to meet you so its good fortune we ran into each other. You've worked for my father a long time haven't you?"  
  
"About 8 years." You replied.  
  
"He keeps you a tight leash."  
  
"I don't think of it that way."  
  
"You enjoy your work then?"  
  
"As much as the next person. It's a paycheck." You admitted.  
  
"A woman with your talents is incredibly rare."  
  
"I'm flattered." You said lightly, trying hard to keep up a good positive appearance for the sake of diplomacy.  
  
"But you're wondering who the hell is the rich blonde kid trying to sweet talk you in the elevator and what the hell does he want?" He suddenly said and you bursted out laughing. You couldn't control it because he said exactly what was going through your mind in a obviously self depreciating humorous way.  
  
"Sorry Sir." You began after recovering. "I wasn't expecting that sort of joke from you."  
  
He smiled back. "I think maybe you and I would have a lot on common so I'd like to talk to you more in the future." and the Elevator stopped on your floor. "Have a nice day Ms. Y/n."  
  
"You too Mr. Shinra." You shook his hand and stepped out.  
  
**********  
  
When the door to your office opened up Sephiroth was inside sitting at your desk cross legged as if he had been there for ages.  
  
"How in the world did you beat me down here?" You asked in disbelief.  
  
"The Bugh Tribe are renowned for neutralism which is why even though Avalanche was formed in Cosmo Canyon, their operations were moved to Midgar. The Tribe couldn't tolerate that sort of negative reputation or values against their ideology." He stated matter of factly.  
  
"What of it?" You crossed your arms over your chest.  
  
"As a Grand Mage working for Shinra this puts you in direct opposition to that ideology because you have decided to take sides. So either you left by choice or you were forced out."  
  
You sighed and plopped yourself down onto your sofa. "You've already figured it all out then....why bother bringing it up?"  
  
"Because it might hurt your performance if you dont get it off your chest." He pointed out.  
  
You smiled sadly. "It's not that simple."  
  
"I know it isn't. Especially considering a outsider became the Grand Mage." He blurted out and you gasped.  
  
"How did you know that?" It was a long kept secret that you were not genetically from the Bugh Tribe.  
  
"Just a guess. You're features are not distinctly Cosmo." He smirked.  
  
You groaned and sank into the sofa. "I was adopted into the tribe 15 years ago. While having outsiders was not so unusual, having one that had innate magical abilities like mine was so the Chief took me in as his own daughter. He had no children of his own. No one had any problem with it until I began training as a high mage. Each family submits a member to train as either a mage, sage, astrologer, healer.....and in the end the one with the most talent is given the title of Grand Mage. It's a title which grants the person dominion over the tribes to an extent. A lot of people disagreed with my training, and when I passed all the required tests and challenges, many people were angry that I was granted the Grand Mage status. But by that time, Shinra had already heard about me and the Turks paid us a visit. Of course my "father" wouldn't allow me to go with Shinra and wouldn't let Shinra take me from there. I got worried that a conflict might break out because of me so I ran away. I wandered around for a while before the Turks found me outside of Junon and that's how I met Tseng. Actually we had a nasty fight but in the end I submitted to them. I had no where else to go."  
  
"Does your family know?"  
  
You shook your head. "Not at all, I haven't been back there since that time and I have no intention to. I don't want to cause them any problems."  
  
"And who else knows about this here?"  
  
"The president, Lazard, Tseng and now you." You rubbed your temples as if a headache were coming on.  
  
Sephiroth was silent for a moment and then leaned over towards you in the chair. "Why didn't you just say all that in the beginning?"  
  
"Like I said, I don't want anyone in the Canyon knowing and I don't want anyone going there on account of me."  
  
"If you didn't grow up in the Canyon...then where did you come from?" Sephiroth asked with a curious expression.  
  
"I think you need to ask yourself that too considering you don't even know when your real mother is." You pointed out. It was his turn to be surprised.  
  
With a perplexed look he asked. "How did you know that?"  
  
"Intuition." You smirked slightly.  
  
"Hmph." He leaned back again the chair. "Everyone's entitled to their secrets."  
  
"Sephiroth....did you come down here to chat with me about this out of curiosity or out of kindness?" You scrutinized.  
  
"A little of both." He admitted and stood up.  
  
"Thank you then, for being kind." You smiled.  
  
"I need you to be at peak performance for this mission. No need to thank me." He pointed out sternly.  
  
"Regardless, thank you anyway."  
  
"I won't tell the others."  
  
"I know you won't."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Because its more exciting this way." You said bluntly.  
  
He didn't bother disagreeing and left the room.


	8. Gongaga Meltdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> According to Before Crisis lore, the Gongaga reactor was laid to waste by avalanche before the events of FF7 so we are going to explore that in this chapter. For all script translations and lore pertaining to the entire FF compilation please visit thelifestream.net they have scripts, details, breakdowns and character bios for ALL related FF7 works.

Gongaga was a very rural village quite literally in the middle of nowhere which was standard with any place that had a Mako reactor. Mako poisoning was always a hazard for those living in close proximity to one as well as monster spawnings, mutations and whole host of other potential issues. So while the dangers were always present, some folks braved the chance to live enriched lives using Mako to create a very comfortable living environment with plenty of revenue from the Shinra company coming through.

It was almost a plains like area with flat grass lands and a few sparse trees here and there. The weather was always mild, sunny and enjoyable while time itself passed very slow if not comfortably for the people of the village. But all of that was about to change.

Resistance fighters just days before invaded the village, killed several men and any Shinra soldiers that were in the area and took most of the townsfolk hostage while they commandeered the reactor. The village was cordoned off by the fighters and no one was allowed to enter or leave until their mission was done and anyone stupid enough to fight back was put down instantly.

"There's too many to count." Genesis announced as he put down the binoculars he had been gazing through. The 3 of you were hiding in the small patch of forest just outside the town and trying to gauge just how many fighters were in there while making some attack plans.

"Most likely they're hiding in the houses too." You reminded them.

"We can't risk villager lives...but of course procuring the reactor is our first priority." Sephiroth said although it was a bit cold.

"I can sneak around unseen." You said. "Why don't I deal with the village and you two go to the reactor?"

"Will you be okay on your own?" Sephiroth asked.

You smirked as one of your yellow materias glowed and your body faded from view completely.

"Stealth Materia?" Genesis raised a brow.

"Very rare." You added and kicked up some leaves next to you so they could see you.

"Alright, we leave the village to you. Keep you PHS on at all times though." Sephiroth ordered.

"See you all soon." You said as you flicked his hair casually while walking by and they heard your footsteps fade out.

***********

With footsteps like a cat you snuck up to the village proper and stopped to count how many men you were seeing. There were several walking around with guns, guarding the outer ranks of the town and when you peeked into a nearby house window you could see two other guards inside forcing the terrified family within to huddle down against the back wall.

You weighed your options and knew you had to be as quiet as possible so you decided to deal with the outer guards first. Sneaking up behind one you grabbed him by his neck and stunned him with a lightning spell. His body stiffened and then went limp as he passed out and you dragged him behind the nearest building. Then you did it again and again to the other guards as you made your way towards the town square and standing in the center, nearest the small water well was Fuhito.

"I'm sure soldiers are coming soon. Is Elfe and Sears in place?" He asked.

"Yes sir."

"If my theory is correct, most likely Sephiroth will go to the reactor and that woman will come here." He gave a malicious smile and it gave you goosebumps. How the heck did he figure you out? Did he know you were standing there watching him now?

"What happens if we see her?" The guard asked.

"Capture her and give her to me.....I will give her as a gift to Hojo."

And that made sweat break out on your back. So there WAS a connection between the two scientists but how? Tseng told you himself there was no connection between him and Shinra which left one other really insane possibility: this guy idolized and worshiped hojo the way one might idolize a 1st class soldier or a sports star. Judging by how the young man dressed, talked and conducted himself it wasn't totally out of the question. How on gods green earth did he survive the helicopter crash?

"Yes sir!" The guard ran off. There wouldnt be much time before he discovered the bodies of the other so you had to make quick work of everything and ignored Fuhito for now. Going up to the nearest home you quietly entered and saw another guard waiting in the kitchen with the family at gun point in the corner of the room. You snuck up to him and stunned him.

The family gasped as the man fell dead to the side and you materialized out of no where but promptly put a finger to your lips lest they give you away. It was a middle aged couple, man and wife with black hair and blue eyes, native features of the area and they stared at you with shock but recognized your uniform and breathed a big sigh of relief.

"I'm here to help you." You said quietly.

"Are you a soldier?" The man whispered back.

"Yes I am. Can you tell me whats going on here?"

"3 days ago these men showed up and killed anyone who was a soldier or shinra employee! All the rest of us were taken hostage and forced to stay in our homes. We dont know whats going on! Who are these people? They are calling themselves Avalanche!"

"They killed all Shinra Personel?" You gasped.

"Its a good thing our son is not around...."The woman wiped tears from her eyes.

"Is your son a soldier?" You asked.

"Yes his names Zack, he's a second class."

"We don't have time to chat." you said sternly. "I'm going to go from house to house and take out the guards and you two need to get as far away from this town as possible until this is over. Can you do that?"

"Of course!" The man took his wife by the hand and they followed you out and around the corner.

You pointed down the road. " That way is clear, just keep going!" and they hurried along down the path as you turned around to the next home. You were able to free 2 more families with ease and gave them the same instructions but when you were ready to dash to the next building you heard something click behind your head. Freezing you turned around to find the nozzle of a gun straight in your face and Fuhito at the other end.

"Hello again. Ms. Y/n." He smiled.

You sneered and slapped the gun away as it fired into the air aimed a sonic punch right for his thin face but your fist met nothing but thin air and you gasped. He had somehow moved out of the way and now he was standing to your side, smiling and mocking you. You side stepped and put some distance between you two and noticed the injection gun in his other hand. He was doping on serum to match your skills and speed.

"Give me as a gift to Hojo, how disgusting!" You growled.

"He wants you more than anything but he cant have you while you're still alive. So I'm going to prepare you personally for him, gift wrapped and delivered to his doorstep. Are you ready?"

"Like hell I am!" You charged fire through your body and sent a torrent of flames rolling towards him. He quickly dodged and you could barely see his shadow move as he did, he was too fast and you had to keep moving or he would get the drop on you. Running through the streets and jumping up to the roofs you rained down lighting that hit the water well and exploded it into charred pieces as he rushed you.

"I know guns are ineffective against you, so what is your weakness? Certainly its not magic....." His face was nearly inches from yours as you tried to punch and kick him but every time you struck empty air. "If its not a physical weapon...what could it be? You're feelings for your friends? No, you are not close enough to them yet to have that kind of connection. Poison? Lets see!" His injection gun flashed out of his pocket and something shot towards you. You smacked it away with your magic and saw a syringe at your feet. Crazy bastard was going to experiment on you while you were fighting!

More syringes came flying at you as you batted them away, dodging, jumping and twisting to and fro to keep from any of them penetrating you and then you saw guards coming from around the corner. Great.

You jumped high into the air, twisted around in a graceful fashion as you formed a ring of light around you. Shouting "Aeroga!" The ring of prismatic energy shot out in a 360 circle and that hit everything and anything with the force of a speeding train. Bones snapped, necks broke and bodies went flying as you mastered a 3 point landing but felt something sting your ankle. Looking down, Fuhito had hit the mark. You quickly grabbed the needle and threw it aside as you felt a strange tingling sensation shot up your calve. It didn't really hurt but made your muscle numb and within seconds you couldn't move your leg at all.

Sitting up on your knees you prepared to defend yourself and Fuhito walked towards you with the gun pointing at you. "Hmmm not the result I was hoping for. You're very resiliant. Then how about this one." He popped in another vial of something. "Venom from the Midgar Zolom should be more potent then the spores of the Marlboro plant."

You put up you hands to blast him away when someone dropped out of the sky and did the work for you. The gun in his hand was sliced in two as a figure in blue punched the scientist square in the face with a force that sent him flying back 20 feet and into the house behind him. The wall crumbled under his back and he slid down onto his butt and simply sat there with a bloodied fast and broken glasses. Angeal was not above an old fashion round of fist a cuffs when the occasion presented itself and frankly he had no tolerance for anyone harassing a lady.

"You....You Cur!!!!!!" Fuhito screamed as he spat blood out of his mouth.

"Do yourself a favor and stay down!" Angeal commanded and other Shinra Soldiers filed into the area and pointed their guns at the broken raggidy man. The Shinra helicopter flew overhead.

He then turned to you. "Hows the leg?"

"I cant move it." You explained as you tried to stand up. He wrapped an arm around your waist and helped you to your feet.

"How and when did you get here?" You asked but were very happy to see him.

"The Marsh caves were undisturbed so as soon as we found that out we high tailed it here to help you." He flashed you his handsome smile.

"Sephiroth and Genesis are in the reactor."

He set you down gently and you sat in the dirt on your butt. "I'll go help them but you should wait here."

"Good luck!" You nodded and gave a small wave as he ran off down the road.

Another Soldier approached you with the bluest eyes you had ever seen, a cheerful young face and a head of spikey black hair.

"Ma'am do you need any assistance?"

"No I'm alright. Please just make sure that piece of trash doesn't get away." You said as you pointed to Fuhito.

"Oh course." He said confidantly. "But it isn't right for a lady to be sitting in the dirt, please allow me to move you." And with that he picked you up bridal style leaving your flabbergasted.

"Wow there buster!" You laughed. "Thanks for the gesture but you don't have to carry me."

"It's what Hero's do!" He said chivalrously.

"Oh my god....You're one of Angeal's aren't you?" You guessed by his noble demeanor.

"Yes Ma'am! My names Zack!"

"Zack....? Zack!?" You suddenly remembered the old couple had mentioned their son had the same name and before you could say anything further the sound of a blaring siren rang out so loud you could feel its vibrations in the ground and everyone turned towards the reactor.

***********

"It's a trap!" Genesis sneered as he and Sephiroth stared at the reactor core with the convenient bomb strapped to it. They hadnt met with any resistance coming in other than the fighters outside which was easy work for the both of them but disarming a make shift bomb was another issue．None of them had any training for that.

"So they had the nuetron ready from the get go, all of this was a ruse to get us all in one convenient place." Sephiroth said in a irritated voice.

"Can you disarm this?"

"No can you?"

The two men exchanged glances and they quickly turned away and started fast walking out of the reactor as Sephiroth pulled out his PHS and rang the President.

"I'm sorry sir the reactor has been compromised. Yes....of course but there are still towns people...I understand." He flipped off his phone and said simply. "Abandon ship."

"And the town?"

"It's collateral we have only 10 minutes to get as far away from here as possible."

***********

Suddenly everyone was in a panic and running to and fro, trying to get people out of the houses and out of town. Old people were being aided by their family members, others simply abandoned everything and ran for their lives.

"Presidents orders!!! Everyone evacuate!" Someone shouted.

"How much time do we have?!" You screamed over the panic.

"10!" A soldier shouted as he ran by.

"10 minutes to get hundreds of people out are you crazy?!" Zack shouted and he had worry plastered all over his face. You struggled against him and forced him to put you down.

"Grab anyone you can and get the hell out!" You ordered as Zack set you down and ran off and you waved to the chopper in the air as it lowered itself down. Soldiers began to file into it. "What about the townspeople!?"

"Orders from the President that all Soldiers get out first!" The pilot screamed at you.

Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal both came running towards you and the chopper. 

Angeal saw the state of confusion. "Whats going on?!"

"The president ordered everyone out! He's going to let meltdown happen!" You said with wide eyes.

"And the people?!"

"Leave them!" Another soldier shouted as they ran towards any vehicle that was available. There was a couple of jeeps and flat bed trucks that villagers were trying to load onto but they were already full to the tipping point and panic was spreading like wild fire.

"We can't leave them like this!" Angeal argued.

"We only have 30 seconds left or we don't make it out on time!" The pilot shouted as he started up the engine. Already some of the trucks were speeding away as people cried out not to be left behind.

"We don't have time to argue about this!" Genesis grabbed his friend by the arm.

"Move out now! That's an order!" Sephiroth shouted as he climbed into the back of the Helicopter but even Genesis hesitated. For all his shortcomings, even someone like him, couldn't walk away from something like this and when Sephiroth saw there hesitation he said sternly. "This isn't a game, this is a real battlefield. There are lives you can save and some that you can't. This is reality, not some hero fantasy and its time you two face that!"

Genesis lowered his head but followed orders and climbed in. All that was left was Angeal and yourself.

You saw the sheer raw emotion in his eyes as he looked at the people who were about to be vaporized crying out for someone to save them and you felt the same way he did. No matter how crazy things were or what you were ordered to do, you couldn't abandon anyone to save your own skin. But if anyone could do anything and survive it, you were the best choice. Maybe your magic wouldn't be enough to save the entire area but you could dampen its damage by containing it. It was totally insane but possible.

"Angeal!" You called to him and he turned to you. "You're a true man, a real hero and I know how you feel.....But right now your friends are right! We can plan for battle, theorize, estimate all we want but there are somethings you can do and some you cant. I know how you feel, I felt it too in Yangwei and that's why I have to do this!" You punched him hard in the stomach as he gasped for air and doubled over, you then kneed him hard in the face and he went limp into your arms. He was heavy, easily 220 pounds but like a feather in your arms as you carried him the chopper and handed him over. Sephiroth grabbed him around the chest and hoisted him up as you grabbed the side of the chopper and it lifted into the air. Then you looked at the 3 men who just only recently came into your life.

"Guys." You began with a smile on your face. "I cant tell you how fun these past 5 months have been. I wouldn't trade my time with you for anything. Its been a real pleasure!"

They each looked at you with confused face and then they suddenly realized what you were about to do. Sephiroth's eyes widened and he tried to reach out and grab you as you let yourself fall backwards off the helicopter. "See you around Soldier boys!" 

"Y/N!!!!!!!" Genesis screamed as he watched you land back on the ground and speed along towards the reactor. The pilot was not willing to turn back and kept on flying until Gongaga was only a speck on the horizon.

***********

The timer read 2 minutes as you knelt in front of the reactor core and touched the red materia gem you kept on your necklace. It was your inheritance as a Grand Mage from the Canyon, a token from your father Bugenhagen that would summon the most powerful defender on earth meant as a fail safe to ensure the survival of the Canyon should anything invade it or attempt to attack it. This summon was not to be used lightly and only in dire situations and most likely this event would destroy it for good. It was a one shot deal but if done correctly, could save everyone. You never thought in a million years you would ever have to use it like this though and could only imagine how furious the tribe would be. In a way you were forsaking the canyon for these people instead and while the notion didn't inherently bother you, you had to apologize in your heart to the people who took you in an raised you. 

You held the materia in your hands and clasped them together in prayer. "God, the earth is a foul place sometimes and I'm sure the likes of me only makes it worse. I've taken a lot of lives and I deserve to be burnt to a cinder but there might be some good people in the world, even in this place that have the right to live. So take my life and spare theirs. Alexander, the holy fortress, head my call!" The red stone burst into light.

************

Light, brighter than anything they had ever seen before burst from the direction of the reactor and everyone stopped to look. The ground rumbled with a deep rolling sound as the sky blackened and a large red rune circle appeared above the reactor. The rune circle was twice the side of the reactor and from it something began to materialize and descend. Large forsress like pillars stomped into the ground as a cathedral looking structure covered the entire thing and grew upwards to fill the sky. Thunder and lightning cracked around it as it reached its zenith and there over all of Gongaga was a colossal structure that was both mechanical and organic, resembling a living fortress of steel and metal and on its crowned turret like head, stood one lone woman. Her hands clutching a glowing red stone and her face turned to the heavens as if praying.

Genesis and Sephiroth looked on in wonder at the creature as angel like wings made of pure light sprouted from its back and enveloped everything around it in a intimate embrace. Even Angeal, who had moments before woken up, had no words to express the phenomena they were now witnessing. And while each other them was awestruck in their own way, Genesis saw something different from the rest. A image overlapping this woman who was dressed from head to toe in white and gold, was suddenly another woman all together adorned with cerulean armor and a crown of gold and blue and he couldn't help but think of a verse from Loveless: 

When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end  
The goddess descends from the sky

Wings of Light and Dark spread afar  
She guides us to bliss her gift everlasting

This woman whom they had all come to know as Y/N, was a lie, a ruse and cover for something more powerful and more arcane then they could ever imagine or that Shinra would ever know. Genesis had figured it all out in those few seconds and this would change the course of history forever, for both him, you and everything that was to come in the future.

A long forgotten memory suddenly came to his mind. In his childhood he happened upon an old statue in Banora that looked like a holy woman with her long slender arms across her chest, hands outstretched as if to hold something in silent reverence. That statue, as rumored by the village people, was hundreds of years old and the only thing that linked Banora to an ancient long forgotten history. Why he had never thought of it until now he couldn't have been sure but your face, now that he compared them, was remarkably like that statue he found years ago in the dark caverns on his hometown. 

The reactor exploded within the fortress's embrace as the shock wave that came out from it nearly knocked the helicopter out of the air and everything that was meant to spew out from such a explosion, suddenly reversed and was being sucked in ward as if in a giant vacuum. The trucks on the ground began to be pulled backwards as they tried to rev the gas and escape its pull, people clung to posts, buildings and whatever they could as this vacuum threatened to consume them too. Then in a final brilliant flash of light, it all stopped, the colossus leaned forward as all life left its body, its wings of light fading into dust as it gave the last of its life to save everyone and the woman standing in authority on its highest tower, collapsed off off her protected tier and fell into the reactor debris below.

************

"Turn this thing around!!!!" Sephiroth ordered seeing that the worst was over. The pilot did as ordered and they sped back towards what was left of Gongaga. Upon landing, across the smoldered land that was peppered with charred marks, ashes and curling brimstone, half the town has been spared. Thought the buildings were badly damaged and some people wounded from the fallout, everyone was still alive and recognizable.

The husk of Alexander stood over the ruins, his once brilliant silver body now black with death and his remains left as a skeleton and memorial of what just took place. The men ignored it as they ran through the debrit and to the smoking heap of metal that used to be a Mako Reactor.

"Y/N!" Angeal called out and they hobbled along on top of the hunks of metal, minding their footing and winding their way towards the center.

"She fell over there!" Genesis pointed and made it to the area first, looked around and saw a delicate pale hand sticking out from underneath a metal sheet. He lifted it up and saw your body lying helter skelter within. Removing all other pieces quickly he wrapped his arms around your chest and lifted you up out of the shallow grave and pulled you to another spot where he laid you out straight.

"Is she alive?!" Angeal gasped as they crowded around you and looked down. Your armor had shattered and half the fabric of our uniform was melted into strips around your arms and legs. Despite that though, your body was remarkably untouched and not a tingle inch of flesh seemed damaged or burned.

Genesis bent over your head and felt breath against his cheek. "Yeah she's breathing." He announced and everyone collectively sighed of relief.

"What the heck was that we just saw?" Sephiroth asked as he looked around the ruins and up at the dead sentinel still towering over them.

"Alexander, the holy tower." Genesis said also looking up. "I've heard of it in legend. The most powerful defensive summon to ever exist...."

"It looks dead." Angeal pointed out.

"It is now. Look at her materia." Sephiroth pointed to the choker around your neck and the red gem that was cracked straight down the middle. "She gave it up to save this place."

"What a shame...." Genesis said sadly and then something cracked. Alexander rumbled and shifted as his body began to collapse under its own weight.

"Let's move it!" Sephiroth commanded as Angeal picked you up and the lot of you ran out of the ruins right before the colossus fell into a pile of ashes.

**********

Gunshots rang out everywhere in the darkness and the growing sense of chaos that involved war and death. You could hear all the sounds of the battlefield. Guns firing, bombs exploding, people screaming, foots steps running to and fro and a sense of dread so intense you were nearly choking on it.

"Destroy it!!!!!" Someone shouted above all the madness. "Destroy that creature!"

and another voice screamed. "Jenova!!!!!!!!"

You gasped for air, eyes flying wide open as you lay flat on your back with someone's hand gently pushing your chest. When our vision refocused and your senses came back to you, you saw 3 familiar faces smiling down at you. Perhaps you had been thrashing around because Angeal was keeping your pinned to the floor of the chopper with his hand. You grabbed it tight as if your sanity depended on it and breathed hard as the odd dream faded away and reality set back in.

"Easy girl, breathe deep." He said with a relieved smile and you relaxed against the floor.

"How are you feeling?" Genesis asked.

"Like crap, thanks for asking." You winced in pain and felt like a truck had hit you.

"Obviously well enough to crack jokes." Sephiroth said lightly and he too seemed pleased you were alive.

"What happened?" You rubbed your temples with one hand and blinked hard a few times.

"A miracle, is what." Angeal said and you noticed the welt on his lower lip where you punched him.

"Sorry about that." You said as you pointed to the injury.

"Oh please....what you did was absolutely crazy but it worked and you saved a whole town." he gave you the warmest smile you could imagine.

Touching the gem on your neck you felt the crack in the middle and new it was no longer good. Materia could repair itself but the process took thousands of years and Alexander would never rise again within your lifetime. A touch of sadness filled you that you had destroyed the only inheritance ever given to you by the tribe but in the end a life saved was worth any summon or crystal.

The boys noticed your somber mood and tried their best to comfort you as you flew back to Junon.

And Fuhito from here says bye bye, his small story arch in this fic is pretty much over but if you ever played Before Crisis or read the script you know he comes back as Avalanche's top strategist and the main villain of that game. I thought it would be nice to have him appear early, to give him a history with our characters and set up the OC's later development. So even if he is out of the picture for now, the information he gained by fighting the OC could prove to be an asset to a certain someone later on in the story. Time will tell....


	9. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As im uploading these chapters im proof reading them for any mistakes or things i want to change, man was my writing style so different 5 years ago! Its entertaining to see how my style has changed and how i feel like im better at planning/writing plot devices now versus when i was doing this. I still love this fic but its a baby compared to my others lol. Enjoy!

President Shinra was not much of an imposing figure. He was short, fat, balding and wore a red suit all the time that made him look like a angry Santa Clause. His blonde hair and long mustache were an attempt to make his chubby self look more dignified but he relied more on the cult of personality to drive home his power and control over people and the world. If it weren't for Mako, he would be nothing but since his company was smart enough to cultivate it early on he monopolized it and because the worlds wealthiest tycoon and eventually dictator. This was a family run business as his father before him founded the earliest segments of the company and eventually it would go to Rufus upon his death. He was also insanely suspicious and kept a tight knit group of council members with him at all times as well as several bodyguards, Sephiroth being one of the most elite and trusted.  
  
His office was the highest floor of the Shinra building and had the grandest view of the city one could imagine, and now there you stood before him ready to take any punishment that came your way, and surely it would because you disobeyed orders plain and simple.  
  
Sephiroth escorted you up the stairs to the office and now you stood by with him at your side as Reeve Tuesti, the head of Urban Development, was pleading your case. "Though Gongaga is now in ruins, the people still live and half the village survived the initial blast. If anything, Y/n should be congratulated for a job well done." He concluded.  
  
"That may be so and indeed, I had in mind to court martial her but people all over the Gongaga area are talking positively about what happened so this may be a good opportunity for our next PR campaign. That being said, you stunt was dangerous, risky and downright suicidal." He said sternly as he puffed on his cigar. "And I don't appreciate having my orders disobeyed twice for you now. Have you forgotten what your contract plainly states or shall I read it again to you?"  
  
"No sir." You said simply.  
  
"The Mako Reactor can be rebuilt as can the city but human and soldier lives cannot." Reeve reasoned.   
  
"I have no plans to rebuild that town." The president plainly stated.  
  
"Sir!" Reeve protested in shock.  
  
"Gongaga was already at the end of its lifespan. The money is better put somewhere else."  
  
"But the people have nothing left! The Mako reactor fueled all of their necessities for daily living! There isn't even running water with the reactor down!"  
  
"Shinra is under no obligation to help since we saved them from Avalanche after all. Think about it Reeve, we can't logically keep pouring money into a rural area like that, there is no growth!" The president said back a his town was so matter of fact you fought hard not to lash out and bit your lip. He was a business man deep down and anything that was a financial liability was let go without a second thought. It was cold and inhuman but it was business none the less and you expected no less from this wolf in sheeps clothing. To say you didn't like the president was an understatement. You loathed him but kept your mouth shut because he paid your bills.  
  
"Contact our PR department and be sure to put that in the headlines tomorrow. Avalanche destroys mako reactor, town saved by Shinra Soldiers. It makes for good propaganda if nothing else." He went on. "As for your punishment my dear....2 months probation at half pay should drive home the point. You already pulled a stunt like this once in Yangwei, now Gongaga....If you had done your job right then we wouldn't be having this problem now."  
  
You had nothing to say to that, even if you did you couldn't argue back with him but he was right in a way, if you had finished the wutains in Yangwei at the time they wouldnt have been able to join forces with Avalanche now. It was the price you paid for sentimentality.  
  
"You are both dismissed." He said. You and Sephiroth saluted and walked out.  
  
Once you were well out of ears shot you gave a big sigh and rolled your eyes. "God he was on a role today."  
  
"You handled that amazingly well." Sephiroth mentioned.  
  
"This isn't the first time he's been mad at me." You shrugged.  
  
"Being a Grand Mage grants you some special rights."  
  
"Same as being a first class." You said with a small smirk. Sephiroth wasn't one to talk about special treatment because he was Shinra's golden boy.  
  
"How are you feeling?" He asked.  
  
"Very tired but I'll survive." You yawned and stretched your arms over you head.  
  
"Take it easy for a few days, I'm sure tomorrow you'll be in worse pain than now."  
  
"Of course sir." You gave a mock salute as you two parted ways at the hallway intersection and you headed down to the lobby. Truth was, you were more tired than you could express in words. Your body ached all over and your mind was too numb to really think, it was a soul draining fatigue that came with mega casting that would leave you in torpor for up to a week.  
  
You made it to your office and when you opened the door a interesting surprised was waiting within for you. Angeal and Zack both stood in the middle of your room and in Zack's arms was a big bouquet of flowers. He had his dashing smile nicely planted on his lips and his eyes sparkled when you entered.  
  
"Hi boys." You smiled. "What can I do for you today?"  
  
"My underling wanted to say something to you." Angeal nudged Zack forward and before you knew it you had a big plume of flowers in your face.  
  
"After the explosion, I found my parents on the outskirts of town. They said you helped them and I wanted to thank you for saving my family." Zack explained as he passed the flowers to you but not before leaning in close and whispering. "But actually the flowers are from Angeal!"  
  
Angeal grabbed his student buy the collar and yanked him back towards your door and dragged him away. "Let's not waste anymore of her time.I'm sure she had a lot to do today...."  
  
"Nice to see you again Ms. Y/n and I just want to say you're a very pretty lady and I understand why he admires you so much!" Zack said as he was pushed out the door by his burly partner.  
  
"Angeal wait!" You called out and he turned his head towards you. For once your expression wavered and he saw how tired you were under neath it all.  
  
He sent Zack away and closed your door. You debated with yourself if you should tell him the news of Gongaga, after all his student was from there and this would affect him. Eventually news would travel down the wire but it may be better for him to hear it from you first.  
  
"Is everything alright?" He raised a brow.  
  
"Yeah its just that....in regards to Gongaga....Do you think I did the right thing?" You asked with a worried expression.  
  
The question sounded strange coming from you and for the first time he could see some of the hard hidden insecurities you kept inside yourself. "You saved lives...how can that not be the right thing?"  
  
"The president has decided to pull financial support out from under Gongaga." You stated plainly and he was silent for a moment as he mulled over the news. "Actually....I did the same thing in Yangwei too. I was given orders from the president himself to wipe the town out and I didn't have it in me to do it. In the end the Turks had to fire bomb the village and a lot of people were killed. If I had done as told, the killings would have been merciful and swift but since I didn't....the Wushang have grown stronger."  
  
"And now your worried that Gongaga will harbor the same sentiments." Angeal finished your thoughts for you.  
  
"Every time I try to do something good I create something bad in the future." You said as you looked down at the flowers in your arms. "That boy might be thanking me now but what about when he goes home to a town that's desolated and impoverished?"  
  
"I don't think Zack has it in himself to hate anyone regardless of the circumstances...but I understand your sentiments and I can only say that time will tell. If you are asking my personal opinion on the issue though....I think what you did was the most incredibly brave thing I've ever seen and I would have tried to do the same thing and lost my life for it." He told you wisely and you nodded to the statement, even though in your heart you were neither happy nor sad over the entire event. You wished that your clarity could have been as resolute as his.  
  
************  
  
Pain. It was all that your mind could register as sweat broke out all over your body and fever consumed you. This was the Torpor, the fever brought on by exerting too much ether at once and channeling to large amount of knowledge and power through a body that was still human, thus still frail. YOu had felt it once before in your younger years of training under the elders of Cosmo Canyon and back then it was so bad you thought you were truly dying. This time was no different and as you woke in the middle of the night in the throws of fever you knew you had to do something before the Torpor permanently damaged you.  
  
You crawled out of bed but the room was moving in a unnatural manner and you couldnt walk straight, knocking into your bedside stand and falling over onto the floor. The pain was too much to think through and you lay on the wood floor of your apartment crying out as every nerve in your body ignited reducing you to nothing more than a broken and sick shell of a woman.   
  
Somehow you mustered up the thought to grab your phone, which was always left under your pillow and you flipped through the numbers. Frankly you didnt care who answered but you needed help and fast or you werent going to make it the night so you randomly clicked a number and listened for a voice on the other end. After a few rings a very sleepy voice, it was after 2am after all, answered. "Hello?"  
  
Angeal had picked up the other end. It was total dumb luck you hit his number first.  
  
"Angeal...."You said in a voice that was strangled with pain.  
  
There was a short pause. "Y/N?"  
  
"Help....."You managed to say between your teeth as you clenched the edge of your bed and braced for another wave of hot searing pain.  
  
"Are you okay?!"  
  
***************  
  
When you didn't answer he quickly sat up in bed and reached for the light then started to dress in a hurry. You had never sounded so bad and you had never called him before on his personal phone so this mean bad news and he was smart enough to guess you needed help. Once his jeans and shirt were on he headed for the front door of his shared apartment and was surprised to see his roomate was still awake with his Loveless book open on his lap. He peered up from the book with a funny expression.  
  
"Going out this late?" Genesis asked.  
  
"Got a call from Y/N. She sounds sick."  
  
"So you will go comfort the goddess?" Genesis said as a dark joke.  
  
"She hasn't got anyone else." Angeal pointed out, put on his boots and walked out the door.  
  
For one moment, Genesis had a strange look on his face, a dark and jealous look that signaled something dangerous growing in his heart as he watched his best friend exit the building and walk right into your open arms.  
  
***************  
  
When he got to your door he knocked twice and when no answer came he tried the handle only to find it unlocked as he entered and saw the inside of your dimly lit apartment. You always kept a low light on through the night because you hated tripping over things in the night and with that he could see your limp body half sitting in the floor and half leaning on your bedside.  
  
He ran over and checked on you. Sure enough your body burned with fever and was covered in sweat and he saw the distressed look on your face even though you were passed out cold. He moved your hair from your face and cradled your cheeks in his hands as he tried to rouse you.  
  
"Y/n!" He said once or twice as you opened your eyes a crack and your eyeballs rolled backwards. Luckily for you, his bedside manner was impeccable and he knew a thing or two about caring for a sick person so He picked you up and laid you out on the bed then ran to your kitchen to get ice. Wrapping a bundle of cubes in the nearest towel he could find he propped it under your neck and then went to your bathroom to get more. He came back with a large fluffy white towel and draped it over you to sop up some of the sweat. Then he he sat at the end of the bed, checked the pulse in your wrist and began massaging your forearms, pushing the blood back up towards your heart so the ice pack could cool it down and circulate it again through your body quickly.  
  
After a few minutes you opened your eyes open a crack and saw him sitting next to you.  
  
"Angeal......"You could barely get his name out.  
  
"Thank god you're responding!" He gave a big sign of relief. "What's happened?"  
  
"Mage Fever...."You groaned.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Torpor." You tried to say again. He understood then, this was the result of casting magic too strong for the human body.  
  
"Oh lord...."He said breathlessly. "What can I do to help you?"  
  
"Pain...."You said in a high creaking voice as tears spilled down the sides of your face. It was pathetic that a woman if your power was reduced to a snivelling whelp but in his eyes it made you very human, which was something easily forgotten on the battle field. He felt a little tug as his paternal instincts and fought the urge to gather you up in his arms and cradle you like a baby. He was a protective kind of guy and seeing a lady, let alone you in distress made those feelings impossibly strong but wasn't willing to breach the laws of decency with your since you were his superior in a way so he settled for something more gentle. He took your hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.  
  
For what seemed like an eternity you writhed in pain and fought through clenched teeth not to scream out as you held into his hand as if your life depended on it and finally, at some point through it all you found sleep.  
  
There was no telling how much time had passed but the smell of something fragrant and delicious woke you up. It was daylight outside and some rays of sun were coming through your window as you refocused your vision and allowed your eyes to follow to scent of food. Someone was lightly chopping on your kitchen counter and when you rolled over slightly to look Angeal was in your kitchen corner.  
  
You stared for a moment with your mouth slightly open and had to reason with yourself if you were really seeing what you thought you were. It was like a dream, having a hunky guy like that cooking in your kitchen. If only he had a apron the whole package would be complete! Honestly you were a sucker for a man who knew how to cook since you obviously didn't.  
  
He stirred something in your pot and then poured it into a small mug before turning around to you. "Oh you're awake! How are you feeling?" He asked as he walked over and set the cut down on your bedside table.  
  
"Its hard to move but the pain is less. I just feel like I ran a marathon." You smiled lightly and tried to sit up but a wave a dizziness caught you and forced you back into the pillows. He propped you up on a couple of pillows and checked your fever.  
  
"Fever has gone down a bit. I should change your towel though." He mentioned. The fluffy towel that covered you as a makeshift blanket was almost totally damp from your sweat and you gladly relinquished it and then freaked out. You were only in your underwear.  
  
Squealing you reached for your covers and threw them over you as your face turned red. "Did you find me like this?!"  
  
"I swear I didn't undress you." he assured you so you wouldn't accuse him of undressing you in the middle of the night.  
  
"What on earth was I thinking?!"  
  
"You were pretty sick so I don't think you would remember most of last night." He chuckled.  
  
"Actually....yeah you're right I don't." You agreed and rubbed your head and the smell of soup distracted you.  
  
"This is garlic soup, its good for pretty much anything." Angeal explained as he passed the cup to you.  
  
"It smells wonderful." You smiled as you took a sip. "I had no idea you could cook."  
  
"Nothing fancy, just small home made things." He shrugged.  
  
"What time is it?" You asked looking around for your phone.  
  
"About 9 am."  
  
You gasped. "Oh my! I kept you here all night! You must be tired!"  
  
"Don't worry about it." He waved a hand. "Today is actually my day off."  
  
"Sorry you have to spend it taking care of me." You said apologetically.  
  
"It's time well spent." He said kindly as you finished your soup. "You had Torpor after all."  
  
"Has it ever happened to you?"  
  
"No, we are warned against that as a first lesson in Soldier but it would only happen if we were to overload ourselves with materia. Your case is a bit different though."  
  
"Mega casting or Mega summoning has its downside." You nodded.  
  
"Torpor can kill you if you're not careful." Angeal reminded you as he took your cup away and set it in the sink. "But it seems you will survive it okay. I'm glad you had enough sense to call someone for help."  
  
You were suddenly trying to think of anything to talk about because you didn't want him to leave but also knew you shouldn't keep him on his day off. It sucked to be caught up in this feelings as you tried hard, in general, to avoid any attachments to men but something about this particular Soldier had your stomach all up in stitches. Its not that you were afraid to have those sort of feelings or romantic interests, but the lives of Soldiers were so uncertain it was a risky thing to give your heart to one knowing that tomorrow you might never see them again. In your 8 or so years with Shinra you hadn't even been with anyone on a serious level. It's not that you didn't like anyone, in fact you got along well with just about everyone you met and every now and then someone would ask you out but you always pushed it aside. There wasn't any particular reason why but you just never felt any time limit on those sort of activities. That and you thought yourself as rather tasteless and boring, certainly not a starry eyed fan girl like these boys had chasing after them day in and out.  
  
"You have that worried look on your face again." He said and it snapped you out of your inner moment.  
  
"Oh sorry." You said.  
  
"What is it your thinking when you look that sad?" He suddenly asked. "You try to hide that face from everyone but every now it shows through, if someone is paying enough attention that is."  
  
"Um...it's stupid but I was just realizing that in my 8 years with Shinra I haven't ever really been close to anyone. I think your the first guy I've even had over and if what Zack said was true, you're the first one to ever give me flowers as well. I think If I had called anyone else they might not have come for me." You explained with sad eyes.  
  
He raised his brows and thought about your confession. It surprised him you felt that you had no one to rely on when you were so outwardly popular. The truth was, even though he was so popular with girls he never really bothered dating anyone either. He took his job as a Soldier very seriously and that often meant devoting time to students and underlings and otherwise trying to be a good role model so all other things took a back seat. Being the type of guy that he was though, if he really loved a woman there would be no heaven or hell that could keep him from being by her side and that was just the problem, he couldn't devote himself to the two causes on an equal level, at least he felt he would be cheating one out of the other if he did.  
  
He was unsure how to address your point. "I..uh...honestly I assumed that maybe you and one of the Turks were together."  
  
"You mean Tseng?" You raised a brow.  
  
"He seems to favor your partnership more than anyone else."  
  
You snorted to hold back the laughter. "Well...I'll admit I like to flirt with him but no, we are not, nor have we ever as far as I know, had any special feelings for each other."  
  
"Sorry." he looked at the floor in embarrassment.  
  
You waved your hand. "Ah don't be, I can see why one might think that. I've had people ask me the same about Lazard too but he's my boss so that's just a little weird."  
  
"So then....you're totally single." He stated and rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
"Yes. You?"  
  
"The same."  
  
"Is there a reason why?" You asked.  
  
"To be honest....I don't feel very comfortable when women throw themselves at me. I know Genesis kind of likes it and so does Sephiroth in his own way but to me its just strange." He admitted.  
  
"You're kind of a shy guy deep down." You noted.  
  
"Truthfully yeah."  
  
"Nothing wrong with that." You shook your head and smiled. "I guess I'm lucky that no one really knows much about me other than the top brass so I don't get harassed by fan guys."  
  
"You have a few admirers though." He joked.  
  
You raised a brow. "Who?"  
  
"I've heard some of the other Soldiers asking about you and it seems you even caught the eye of Rufus Shinra."  
  
"Maybe that's a good thing, then for _Red Day_ I can finally get some darn chocolate!" You joked. Red day was the one day of year when lovers could confess their feelings for each other and often gifted each other with sweets and flowers. It was unisex so both men and women could equally celebrate it and it was coming up next month. While others flaunted all the cards and gifts they got from their partners of love interests, for you it was nothing special and the only ones who bothered giving your chocolates were other coworkers, pity chocolates as they were called.  
  
He had to laugh at that. "I'll share mine with you if you want."  
  
"I don't want pity chocolates Angeal!" You protested with a frown.  
  
He smiled and threw up his hands. "Okay, Chocolates for the Lady Mage this year. I will spread the word."  
  
You wanted to jump for joy but pain shot through your body the moment you made any movements.  
  
"Don't overdue it!" Angeal warned. "Is there anything else you need today?"  
  
You thought about it a moment. "I think I'll survive the rest of the day thanks to your tender loving care. You don't have to spend the whole day babysitting me."  
  
He pulled your blankets up for you and refluffed your pillows as he patted you shoulder. "As I said before, its time well spent. You should try to sleep now."  
  
Now that he mentioned it you were still very tired and with hot soup in your stomach a good nap sounded very well. You slid deeper into your blankets and rolled over onto your side so you could still talk to him.  
  
"Will you go now?" You yawned and drew the comforter up to your chin.  
  
"I should get back before Genesis wonders about me but if you need me again just call." He smiled as he walked towards the door.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Anytime, my lady."


	10. Dancing Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get interesting with Genesis, his OOC side is gonna start showing itself.

Being on probation meant two things: One was your paycheck was going to be substantially smaller and the other was being restricted from missions. So while everyone else came and went according to their orders, you were reduced to administration duties and acted as Lazards second set of hands and eyes to accomplish everything he didn't have time to do on his own. You were attending meetings with him, fetching his lunch, filing his papers and just about everything else in between. But you didn't dislike it since you really weren't in combat shape since the Gongaga incident. One month had already passed and luckily it seemed to fade out with everything else going on. Somehow today though, things were shaping up to be strange and different on a whole nother level.  
  
As you and your director came out of the monthly board meeting with the Supply Department and headed back to his office, a very unexpected guest was waiting for you both. Rufus Shinra was paying you another unexpected visit.  
  
You both froze in the doorway when you saw him and you couldn't help but sense some hostility between him and Lazard. It was nothing directly outward, but a small glance that Rufus gave him was unfriendly. You looked back and forth between the two men and thought to yourself how remarkably similar they were.  
  
"Rufus Shinra." Lazard began in a neutral voice. "How can I help you today?"  
  
"Actually I'm here to talk to her." He smiled in your direction. "Do you have time Ms. Y/N?"  
  
"Sure." You said in a slightly confused tone. Rufus almost never came to the Soldier floor and you could only imagine it meant something big if he did.  
  
He reached into his white jacket and suddenly handed you a very nice envelope with your name written on the front in cursive. "My 18th birthday is coming up next week and I'm throwing a celebration with the Turks, some friends and some fellow soldiers so I wanted also to extend a personal invitation to you. I hope that you will consider coming."  
  
You were flabbergasted for a minute as this was the first time you were invited to any important shindig and you weren't quite sure how to respond but you took the envelope and smiled kindly. "I would love to but I'm sure you heard I'm on probation. Your father might not like the idea of me going."  
  
He shook his head. "No need to worry about that as I already told him you were to be my special guest. It's going to be formal so please dress appropriately and enjoy the night with me and the others. I think you deserve it after what you did for Gongaga." His tone was cordial and smooth, so smooth it was suspicious. Rufus obviously wanted something from her but she could only guess what that might be.  
  
"In that case I would love to." You nodded.  
  
"Fantastic! I look forward to your presence there. I won't take up anymore of your time so please have a nice afternoon." He headed for the door but not without shooting another unfriendly glance at the director and left.  
  
You were silent as you opened the letter and read the official invitation. "This is the first time I've ever been invited to something like this......"  
  
"Be sure to dress your finest, Rufus is a stickler for those sorts of things." Lazard said, but it was not in any sort of malicious way, just fact.  
  
"I don't even own a dress...."You confessed. "What am I supposed to give a guy like that as a present?"  
  
"I'm sure you'll come up with something. I don't need you anymore today so why not go shopping for this event?" Lazard suggested as he began writing on his file papers.  
  
"Yeah I guess I will." You shrugged and walked out but you were very unsure why Rufus would ever bother with some like you and the way he looked at Lazard was strange. It was well controlled, whatever bad feelings he had for the director, but it was there none the less and you were empathic enough to pick up on that vibe the minute you two walked into the room. Maybe this party wasn't such a good idea to go to but you had already said yes so what excuse could you give to not go? Rufus was up to something and you could smell it through that expensive cologne he wore that clung to the space he walked in.  
  
*************  
  
Luckily the lobby floor of the Shinra building has a small strip mall built in and a formal dress shop sat in the corner run by a friendly lady who insisted you try on everything and the kitchen sink. Picking a dress was no small feat for you and you took your time going through the racks looking at colors and styles and trying to match something with the shoes you choose from the rack. Frankly shoes were everything and mobility was the most important thing for you. You didn't want to deal with pinched toes, corns, or any other issues that would prevent you for fighting if the need arose. Plus if you were to, heaven forbid, dance with someone then the last thing you wanted to be doing was tripping over yourself.  
  
You sighed and dropped your head. Oh lord, you didn't even know how to dance! What if someone asked you? You would be the most awkward women in the place and with your ranking, it would be downright shameful.   
  
And as if to confirm that the universe was conspiring against you, Genesis was suddenly hovering over you. "Pink isn't your color, go with something more classic like black."  
  
You nearly jumped out of your skin as you gasped and fumbled with the dress in your arms to keep from dropping it. "Dear God man! Don't do that!"  
  
"Going to a social event are we? You're quite the busy woman." He remarked.  
  
"I don't have much of a choice...."You began.  
  
"You've been invited to Shinra's birthday celebration." He finished your sentence.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"Because we were also invited." He said simply.  
  
"We?"  
  
"Sephiroth, Angeal and myself."  
  
You groaned. "Oh no....."  
  
He frowned. "Is that a problem?"  
  
You waved a hand. "No! I didn't mean it like that! It's simply that.....I don't feel comfortable with you all seeing me in a dress."  
  
"You're regular uniform is rather form fitting so I don't think you would be any more revealing then you already are." He pointed out.  
  
"I'm covered head to toe!" You countered.  
  
"Then perhaps its time for you to show off your femininity." He said with a sly smile and reached for a black cocktail dress on the wrack. "Try this one."  
  
The dress was strapless and short, with a ample amount of poofy tulle on the bottom. You looked at him and the dress. "Are you serious?"  
  
"Trust me." He smiled.  
  
You sighed and took the dress then held it up against your body in the mirror and you saw for a moment, something dark and dangerous in his eyes as he looked you over head to toe. It gave you chills but you tried to ignore it. This wasn't the first instance that he made you uncomfortable and by now you should have been used to it. You two were simply worlds apart in terms of personality to ever click.  
  
"See?" He said hovering behind you in the mirror. "A perfect match."  
  
There was a moment of his eyes on you and your eyes on him in the mirror before you turned your head up to him and simply said. "I don't know how to dance."  
  
************  
  
"One, two, three, four....Okay now repeat it again." Genesis commanded as you walked through some quick waltz steps in the gym area of the building.   
  
"Is dancing a requirement for Soldiers?" you asked as you twirled around.  
  
"It is." He said simply. "When we are going through school there is a yearly winter ball, we all take ancillary courses in basic dancing and etiquette. Now repeat...."  
  
Dancing wasn't your forte~ but you seemed to be catching on well doing the steps by yourself and following his cadence as you repeated the moves over and over again, waltzing in a nice box step across the gym. Though you were very agile on the battlefield you simply never had a reason to partake of any dancing and thus the whole idea was out of sight out of mind. Luckily you weren't tone deaf or rhythm impaired so you could manage as long as it was simple.  
  
"Are you ready to try it with music?" He asked as he turned on the stereo system in the corner and popped in some CD.  
  
"I guess so." You shrugged as he turned it on and adjusted the volume. The song was a orchestrated waltz filling the room with the sound of violins and wind instruments, a stark contrast to the gyms burly look and a welcome burst of cheerfulness to a otherwise boring place.  
  
Genesis walked towards you with his hands outstretched, beckoning you to give him yours. When you offered him your hands he pressed himself up against you and placed your hands in the proper positions, one on his shoulder and the other in his own as he grabbed your waist and very firmly held you against him. It was too close for comfort but you swallowed any protestation and went with it for the sake of the lesson.  
  
"Follow my lead." He said as he stepped forward and you stepped back. It was awkward and you almost stumbled but his firm arm kept you upright. "Try again." He said as you repeated the box steps slowly until you found a comfortable speed.  
  
"You're too stiff." he said as he shook your hand a bit to loosen you up. "Loosen up."  
  
"Sorry...."You groaned as you tried to obey everything he said.  
  
"Are you afraid of me?" He asked suddenly.  
  
"No...."You said carefully and gave him a funny look.  
  
"You're not used to being touched then?"   
  
"Not like this." You admitted.  
  
"How about this then?" He suddenly kicked out your leg from under you and you were bent over backwards like a scimitar as he dipped you dramatically. You nearly screamed and tried to grab onto something but he kept you hand firmly in his and all you could do was try to cling to him with your arm over his shoulder in a half hugging position.  
  
"Don't drop me!!!!" you cried out as he straightened up again and laughed.  
  
"That's more like it." He whispered into your ear and you felt goosebumps shiver down your spine. Flirty bastard. "Let's do it one more time." The song repeated itself and you two did another round, this time you were much better and were able to go with the music but you kept your eyes on your feet, trying not to step on his.  
  
"Look at me." He said in his suave voice and you gulped as you hesitated but eventually did make eye contact. Genesis always had a way of making you want to crawl out of your skin and you could never understand why. You figured you would feel that way about Sephiroth because he was far more imposing but no, you actually got along splendid with the Silver Soldier so what was it about this guy that had you all up in arms? His eyes were always watching you in a certain way, looking into you and through you, examining you from every angle and trying to figure something out. But what?  
  
"I'm going to step on your feet." You warned.  
  
"I'll survive if you do. Just listen to the music."  
  
And so it went on with you two going around and around as the waltz blared away on the speaker until it finally ended.  
  
He released you. "I think you've got it, that should be all for today."  
  
"Thanks for the lesson." You said.  
  
"You can pay me back at the party." He smirked. "By giving me one dance."  
  
"I think I can manage that." You agreed as you picked up your sweat towel and water bottle then headed for the door. Behind your back he watched with hawk eyes and smiled to himself. He had you right where he wanted you and would take full advantage of that at the party. It was time to strip away the woman known as Y/n and reveal the creature that hid underneath, the sleeping Goddess he knew you to be.


	11. Shinra's Gala

A soft knock came at your door just as you were putting the last touched of lipstick on and you called for the person to enter. It had taken you the past 2 hours to get yourself ready and your hair had given you the most trouble. You had to up do it yourself and then try to finagle the dress without a second set of hands. You managed it somehow and for the most part were ready to go.  
  
Tseng opened the door. "Are you ready to go?"  
  
You turned to him and gave him a expecting look. "Depends....Do I look passable?"  
  
He pause to look you over head to toe and even made a twirling motion with his hand which meant for you to spin around so he could see the back. You did slowly and then faced him again.  
  
"No good?" You asked.  
  
Tseng would be the last person in the world to admit you were beautiful, and obviously you were with your black cocktail dress and dolled up hair, even though he thought that indeed you were he was not about the break ranks by saying anything risky. "It will pass." He said simply.  
  
You shook your head and sighed. "It looks like shit doesn't it?"  
  
"Not at all. I'm sure the Sir will be pleased." He said with a straight face and ushered you to the door. You followed him out of the building and to the front entrance where a nice black company car awaited you. Rufus was standing outside the passenger door and waiting for you.  
  
"Sir? I had no idea you were picking me up personally tonight." You said politely as you approached him.  
  
"I wanted to make a statement at this party by having Shinra's most powerful woman at my side. You look wonderful by the way." He smiled as he took your hand and helped you into the back seat.  
  
When the car started moving you dared to ask. "Please forgive my directness but you invited me to this party for a reason right?"  
  
"You're a sharp woman." He said. "I'm sure you heard from the others that I invited the 3 top Soldiers as well as you. Though this is only a social party I think its cognizant to always be on high alert considering whats been going on the past few days. I think having you with me will intimidate any potential threats."  
  
"So even if I'm not on duty, I'm on duty." You smirked. "That's a clever way of getting around my probation."  
  
"My father is a fool to do that to you." Rufus crossed his arms over his chest and reclined into the soft leather seat of the car. "Tell me, what do you really think of my father's empire? And please answer that honestly."  
  
You hesitated to say for obvious reasons and even if he gave you permission to speak freely it was still a dangerous line to cross. "I can't." You said simply.  
  
He turned is blue eyes to you. "The fact is that someday I will be president and I want to surround myself with people who are willing to be straight forward, not the money grubbing brown nosers my father keeps with him now. Please speak your mind with me, I want us to be able to talk openly and candidly."  
  
You thought for a moment and summed it up in one word. "Wasteful."  
  
He chuckled and nodded. "An interesting choice of word but one that I agree with. When I become president things are going to change. I want to do away with this silly bureaucracy and consolidate Shinra's power into one force, one that wont kowtow to outside forces with bribes and complacency. When that happens I want to form my own elite guard and I had you in mind as a candidate for my personal team."  
  
Rufus was a ambitious kid and you admired that zeal in him but he might also be waiting another 20 years for his old man to die assuming the current presidents health held up and no other problems arose. How far would he be willing to go to get that throne of his early? Considering how different their philosophies were, its quite possible Rufus would try to abdicate his father early through political or even shadier means. This man was dangerous in very subdued way and he hid it all with his suave professionalism and upbringing.  
  
"I would be honored." You said carefully.  
  
"Then let tonight be the start of a good relationship between future employs." He smiled as the car came to a stop in front of a large mansion.   
  
You were deep within sector one, which was where the majority of Shinra executives lived and it was a staggering contrast to the rest of Midgar. Their sprawling mansions, well manicured gardens and gated communites showed just how poorly the majority were paid in comparison. Even though you enjoyed a comfortable paycheck and wanted for nothing, this was excessive by your standards.  
  
Tseng opened the door for you and Rufus helped you out of the car where a red carpet waited for you leading you up the walkway to a large white columned building where many well dressed people waited. As you two walked along some people congratulated the young man on his birthday, some saluted, some made small chit chat and some asked about you as you were clinging to his arm. Frankly crowds like this were not your thing and it made you nervous.  
  
Up the walkway you went and into the large ball room beyond where soft live music played from the band on the stage and many people danced under the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Everywhere were well dressed people, holding their champagne flutes, eating their overpriced finger foods and mingling with each other in the crowd. You tried hard to find anyone you could recognize to ground yourself, and give you some sense of security but all you could see was a sea of people.  
  
Suddenly you wished it was Angeal's arm you were clinging to as he always made you feel safe and secure. Silently you prayed your 3 soldiers were in the room somewhere watching you.  
  
***********  
  
"Sephiroth do you want to dance?" One lady asked the well dressed man with long white hair. He stood casually to the side of the room with Angeal by his side, both of them equally dressed in their black formal uniforms and otherwise trying to be inconspicuous since they were on duty and here merely as bodyguards. That certainly didn't stop the ladies trying their luck though.  
  
"I'm very sorry, we would love to but we're on duty. Please understand." Angeal explained politely as another girl tugged at his arm.  
  
"Awww, only for a moment? You two are the coolest guys here!" She said with starry eyes.  
  
"Really we can't." Sephiroth added and smiled apologetically.  
  
The group of girls pouted as they walked away to try their luck with the other men in the room and both guys let out sighs of relief.   
  
"These vixens are incourageable." Sephiroth said under his breath and straightened his uniform.  
  
"Not your type?" Angeal teased.  
  
"Not yours either." he said back. Though they did enjoy the attention of women in their own way, when they were working it was a nuisance and unwanted. Sephiroth in particular found most women at these types of parties to be boring and petty, painted little things that were to be tolerated for the sake of diplomacy but not one he would ever want to strike up a friendship with. He had gone his whole life with these types chasing after him and it secretly disgusted him even though he kept on a good charming demeanor as to not offend anyone.  
  
Angeal, was a bit more forgiving and didn't mind a small chat and dance every now and then but for the moment they were on the job so his stern soldier personality was in place and his charming country boy personality thrown on the back burner.  
  
"Where is Genesis?" Angeal asked as he looked around the room. "He's been anti-social these days."  
  
"How is his shoulder?" Sephiroth asked.  
  
"The doctor said it should be fine and he insisted Genesis not come to this event but....He wouldn't take no for an answer for some reason." Angeal explained. Just days ago they had a "incident" In the 2nd class training simulator that ended badly. Genesis had been wounded during the exercise between himself and Sephiroth then taken to the infirmary. From there, he was bandaged up and as far as he told everyone, given a clean bill of health. Still, Angeal felt uncomfortable about the incident and noticed how impassioned his friend was during his fight with Sephiroth. It was raw, emotional, volatile and reckless. It shocked Angeal to see such burst of anger and rage in his friend during their battle and even more shocking that Genesis had gotten himself hurt because of his temper. From then on, he had rarely been seen outside of his room and stuck to himself and his Loveless book.  
  
"We should take that as a good sign then that he decided to come at all." Sephiroth said and then he spotted a certain lady near the entrance and froze.  
  
"He usually hates parties though so why would he..." Angeal began as Sephiroth grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it gently as he pointed to the entrance.  
  
"Probably because of her." Sephiroth said matter of factly as they both focused on the lovely girl holding the arm of the second most powerful man in Shinra.  
  
Angeal's eyes focused and he almost gasped out loud at the pretty lady in her black cocktail dress, dolled up lavender hair falling in soft curls around her round face, and classy black stilletto heels that made her already shapely legs seem impossibly long. He couldn't stop starring at the contrast between your uniformed self and this lady of the evening self that now gracefully walked along with that young man. His uniform collar suddenly felt uncomfortably hot and tight and he fought the need to adjust it. There was a fine line between trashy and classy that some women had a hard time understanding but with your nickname being "The Lady Mage" it was crystal clear which category you fell into.  
  
Sephiroth glanced at his friends entranced face then back to you and smiled to himself. It was no secret to him that there was a strong attraction between the two of you and that more often then not you called upon Angeal in your free time if you needed someone to visit with. This was natural if not "cute" to him, if cute could ever be part of his vocabulary, and he secretly encouraged the pairing since it wasn't everyday that Angeal expressed a serious interest in a girl. He respected you as a colleague, admired your maturity and astute nature and honestly wouldn't have minded your attention on a personal level but he kept any romantic ideas at bay. Angeal was better suited to you and he respected his friend above all else so whatever feelings he had for you he planned to keep just as that, his private feelings.  
  
After moments of silence, Sephiroth clasped his hands behind his back and turned to walk away but not without saying. "One dance would't hurt and you'd better do it before the "kid" decides to have her."  
  
**********  
  
On the other side of the ball room Genesis stood with his back to the stained glass wall with his arms across his chest and a rather uninterested look on his face. His dark and broody atmosphere kept girls at bay and everyone silently got the picture that he wasn't in any mood to be messed with.  
  
Underneath his uniform his shoulder ached and burned. It annoyed him that the wound had yet to heal even though the damage was done days ago and he tried his best to ignore it. It was infuriating that once again, Sephiroth, had bested him in battle and even more so that he had gotten himself wounded in the process. It was a stupid mistake and he burned inside with anger at both himself and this strange body of his that refused to heal.  
  
Doctor Hollander had treated his wounds but there was something else, something about Genesis DNA which prevented a proper healing. And even though he was given blood from Angeal and adaquete resting time, the wound remained fresh and festering leading to the shocking notion that perhaps his DNA wasn't what he thought it was. Hollander was secretive about it and had only hinted that perhaps everything that Genesis knew about himself was a lie, driving him to a dark desperate place in his mind, latching onto LOVELESS as the only constant thing in his life other than his two friends and secretly obsessing over how to overcome this new obstacle. Then he saw you.  
  
Rufus whispered something into you ear and you broke away from him, moving through the dancing crowd carefully and making your way over to the side of the room nearest the windows and the drink table.  
  
He admired his choice of dress from afar and remembered that he was not the only one harboring secrets. He knew you weren't all you claimed to be, that half your record within Shinra was a big blank, and perhaps even fudged a bit to get your further into Shinra than what might normally be allowed. Why did Shinra put such high regards on you? It wasn't just your magehood....there was more to it than that. And why was Hojo forbidden from having access to you in anyway? Your reaction about the Canyon and your overall distaste for Shinra was all too apparent and he began to wonder what was going on in that pretty head of yours. Who were you really and where did you come from? What was that strange and beautiful being he saw standing in your place upon the mighty Alexander who spread his wings over Gongaga? He clenched his teeth as the thirst for more knowledge about himself and you pushed him to action.  
  
He quickly dodged his way around the people in the room and over to you as you were being presented with a champagne flute by the server behind the table.  
  
"Good evening to you miss." He said and tilted his head to you in kind regards. You turned to him and were pleasantly surprised by his uniform. It was so different from the ones they normally wore. Doublet style cut with black heavy cotton, a mandarin collar with tassels tucked into the front line and nice gold epaulets at the shoulders. It was regal and terribly handsome.  
  
You smiled at finally having found someone you knew. "Genesis? Wow that suit is very...fetching." and you took a sip of that fine drink. Since you were Rufus "guest" you could get away with a drink or two unlike the soldiers on duty.  
  
He bowed slightly. "And you look lovely. My dress choice suited you perfectly."  
  
"Are the others here? Angeal and Sephiroth?"  
  
"They are here." He said and then stepped closer to you. "but you owe me a dance."  
  
You finished your glass and set it down. "Right now? Won't you be in trouble?"  
  
"Who cares about that. Please. Just one dance." He said and held out his hand for you. Something in his eyes made you pause, there is was again, that darkness boiling just under the surface and the feeling in your gut that something was up. Maybe it was curiosity or recklessness on your part but you took his hand and allowed him to lead you onto the dance floor.  
  
Just like you two had practiced, he took his stance and you took yours, hand in his hand, one arm on his shoulder and the two of you moved to the soft orchestrated music. After a few minutes of feeling it out you found a comfortable pace and relaxed as much as you were able. It was strange being this close to someone. Dancing itself was strange and the idea of two people coming together and moving in synch as a form of entertainment and courtship. It was lovely on one hand and so intimidating on the other depending on how you felt about physical intimacy and your partner.  
  
"You're blushing." Genesis chuckled as looked down at you.  
  
"Everyone is watching us." You said shyly.  
  
"Because everyone envies us, the goddess and the hero."  
  
You tilted your head to one side and raised a brow. "You've been reading too much of that book again."  
  
He smiled and tilted his face very close to yours. "I'm beginning to see the truth. About everything, you....me."   
  
The statement was crypticly obscure and indeed, there was something very different about him tonight. You swallowed hard. "I don't understand."  
  
"What is it you see when you look at me?" he asked with a serious face.  
  
You froze. "I see Genesis."  
  
"And who is Genesis to you?" He went on.  
  
You thought carefully. "A friend....a comrade....a soldier....many things."  
  
He laughed softly but in a depreciating way. "And what if all of that is a lie?"  
  
You looked at him in worry. "Whats going on? Why are you saying that?"  
  
"I know what you see when you look at me. I can see the fear in your eyes, the hesitation, the suspicion and its no different than when I look at you. We both are not who we think we are."  
  
Now this was conversation was getting weird. "What's happened to you?" You scrutinized his face and saw pain in his eyes.  
  
He hugged you so close his mouth was right next to your ear as he whispered. " _When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, The goddess descends from the sky, Wings of light and dark spread afar, She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting."  
  
_ You stiffened against him as he recited the poem and rolled your eyes. "Oh come on, not with that again..." But his grip on your waist tightened and he went on. " _Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess, We seek it thus, and take to the sky, Ripples form on the water's surface,_ _The wandering soul knows no rest_."  
  
Sweat broke out on your back and you felt something a kin to panic rise in you. You don't know why, you just didn't want to hear those words from him. It sounded arcane, mystical and had power of some sort even if it was just a poem. Something snapped in you and you didn't want him saying these words to you. Suddenly, you felt like a small trapped animal and you wanted feircly to get away from this man.   
  
"Let go...." You whispered and tried to step back but he had you locked against him.  
  
" _My soul, corrupted by vengeance, Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey, In my own salvation, And your eternal slumber....._.awaken sleeping goddess...spread your wings and release the arrow from your bow.You no longer have to hide among men for I will be your protector!"  
  
"Stop it!" You hissed as you struggled against him and pushed him away. Everyone suddenly stopped at looked at the two of you as you slapped him hard across the face. "How dare you....!" You said in a stern and resolute voice, pulling rank on him and he gently touched his jaw but the look in his eyes was mischevious if not conniving and it gave you chills.  
  
You turned on your heels and walked away from him before anything further could happen and smacked your face right into someones hard chest. Strong hands grabbed your shoulders to steady you as you looked at and met two familiar blue eyes.  
  
"Angeal!" You gasped as he looked at you once, then over you at his friend who just got through molesting you and the look was strange. Confusion. Angeal saw everything that happened and he couldn't believe that his trusted friend had just tried to force himself on you. Genesis smirked at the sight of you two together and simply walked away.  
  
There was a strange silence and you didn't want anymore trouble so you quickly asked your friend, "Please take me out of here. I'm going to be sick." in a breathless voice. This snapped his attention back to you and quickly he ushered you to the back door that lead out to softly lit balcony. There was one or two other couples there but it was spacious and a breath of fresh air from the stuffy ballroom. You placed your hands on the railing and took in a shaky breath as you tried to reground yourself from the panic attack.  
  
"Here." A glass of water was quickly presented to you and you took a big gulp. Angeal leaned against the railing with his arms across his chest, the ever strong and handsome sentinel in your life and you were grateful to bump into him. "What happened back there?"  
  
You closed your eyes and slowed your breathing. "I don't know....I just...panicked."  
  
"Panicked?" Angeal asked. 'Over dancing?"  
  
You shook your head. "No, Genesis was saying some things and I....I just got upset."  
  
He watched you carefully as you regained your composure but also knew you weren't telling him the whole truth and most likely because you didn't want to upset the brotherly relationship they had together. It was also no secret to him that Genesis maybe harbored intense feelings for you which you misunderstood due to your conflicting personalities. Genesis was used to getting his way and having someone out of his reach, out of his league, was something he had no experience with and thus tended to act out immaturely when presented with a woman such as yourself.  
  
"I won't make excuses for him because he's a grown man but....it might be hard to understand this but he does like you probably more than you realize." Angeal explained. "He's not used to dealing with someone more powerful and mature than him so he, in a way, throws a tantrum when challenged."  
  
"I know that!" You snapped and then felt bad. "Sorry....I didn't mean to snap...I know what you mean and I know that he does but he frightens me sometimes."  
  
He raised his brows. "Frightens?"  
  
"When I look into his eyes I can sometimes see darkness there and its growing in him. It's always been there but....did something happen recently to him?" You asked.  
  
Angeal hesitated because actually something did and he was just about the explain it to you when someone called him from inside. "Angeal, we need you inside." Another soldier commented.  
  
"Sorry, we are on duty tonight. Will you be okay?" he asked.  
  
You nodded. "I think so. I'll just hang out here for a while."  
  
"I'll come back for you when I have a moment." He said and walked towards the door.  
  
You called out to him before he left. "Hey, I just want to tell you how handsome you look in that uniform."  
  
He smiled and bowed. "I'm honored." And then disappeared inside.  
  
You smiled to yourself and then looked out over the balcony to the nice garden in front of you. It was large and had some nicely trimmed roses surrounding a stone water fountain and beyond that a maze of tall hedges that people were walking in and out of giggling and trying to find their way through. The only lighting in the area was the electric glass lamps that hung on poles here and there giving the whole garden a dimly romantic feel. The hedge maze looked fun and you decided to give it a try so you walked towards it.


	12. Reverie

"I didn't want to cause a scene but there were reports of some unknown people in the garden area." Zack announced as Angeal and Sephiroth gathered around him. Zack had also been tasked with guard duty but unlike his higher level counterparts, was reduced to perimeter duty and thus was in his normal 2nd class uniform.  
  
"We'll check it out." Sephiroth calmly said as he and Angeal walked back towards the balcony. "Where is Genesis?"  
  
"Never mind about him for now." Angeal said sternly and the manner of tone surprised his partner. The balcony was empty of people and you were no where in sight. "Hm? Where did she go?"  
  
"You mean y/n?"  
  
"She said she would wait here." Angeal noted and looked out over the railing the expansive garden and saw you on the edge of the maze just about to enter. "Wait!Y/n!" He called out but you didn't hear him as you entered it.  
  
It was dark and heavily cast with shadows but the lamps did offer some lighting and other couple were going to and fro in their hunt for a exit. You smiled to yourself and walked along whatever path you wanted, turning this way and that and going deeper and deeper in. This went on for several minutes until you were so deep you actually got a little lost. Touching your chin with your thumb you tried to understand how the maze worked and turned another corner and another until it suddenly came to a big open clearing which also happened to be the edge of the upper plate.   
  
Since Midgar was a giant Mako reactor it was built on a elevated platform high above the natural earth syphoning off the energy and feeding it to the citizens above. This part of the plate was unfinished and this the metal plating left undone and a large gaping expanse maybe a few hundred feet wide square showed a glimpse of what was underneath the entire city. The slums some hundreds of feet below were another story and a whole other world and one rarely glimpsed by anyone lucky enough to live top side. You had been down there a few times in the past but generally kept yourself on the upper world since it was so dark and dreary down there. Imagine a world with no sunlight and the ever present mako vapor and smell permeating every avenue. Countless impoverished people, the drug addicts, the drunks, the losers and nobodies all inhabiting that world.   
  
You walked to the plate edge and looked down, a fall from this height would kill anyone but you had no fear of it. From afar you could hear the din of the party behind you and the lights of the city below you and for some reason it was magical, it captured you and your mind and then you hear rustling in the bushes behind you. You turned around just in time to see Sephiroth and Angeal coming towards you.  
  
"Something wrong guys?" You asked and saw there eyes widen in horror at something behind you. You felt the rustling of wind and heard the clanking of metal as something hit you hard from the side and knocked you almost 20 feet away. You landed roughly in the grass lawn and laid there for a second as you propped yourself up on your arms and took a look at what ever just pummeled you.  
  
"What the hell....?!" You gasped as a juggernaut like mechanic creature resembling a giant crab crawled out of the plate hole. It was easily the size of a train and armed to the teeth in some sort of odd colored metal. The very gunship metal hue of it gave a small glint of blue in the lamplight and you knew exactly what it was.  
  
"Its armed with Adamantite!" You exclaimed as it ignored the lot of you and went straight for the mansion.  
  
"Its going after Rufus!!!!!" Angeal shouted as you all chased after it.  
  
"My magic wont work on it so take care of this guys!" You announced and you propelled yourself forwards, using a ethereal gust of wind to push you at sonic speeds straight back up to the balcony and into the dance hall. You were almost instantly at Rufus side.  
  
Grabbing his arm firmly you pulled him away from the group of socialites he was chatting with and quickly explained. "Your safety is compromised so we're going now!" and not seconds later the glass behind you shattered as the thing smashed through the entire back wall and people screamed for dear life.  
  
"Dually noted." Rufus agreed as he waved his hand and gave the signal for the Turks to do their thing as you guided him back down the red carpet to the front foyer where the Sudan was parked. Tseng wasted no time running ahead and jumping into the drivers seat as Rufus and You climbed in the back. People suddenly came pouring out the front as gun shots rang out and Tseng gunned the car but you didnt even make it 20 feet before something large crashed right into the hood.  
  
Spider like legs stabbed through the front half of the car, barely missing Tseng in the drivers seat and effectively pinning the car on the spot as the top roof was ripped off and tossed aside and you were face to face with the Mechanic Crustacean.  
  
You threw yourself over Rufus and shielded the both of you as bullets ripped through the back seat from the gattling gun attached to its underbelly and ricocheted off your barrier. Defending was about all you could do in this situation since mythril was resistant to most elemental magic. Rufus reached into his coat while you had your hand raised to protect the lot of you and pulled out a long double barrel shotgun that he pointed straight up into the undercarriage of the creature and fired two rounds.   
  
The bang was so loud your ears rang out as the thing backed up, its guidance camera blown out and tried to re calibrate itself and giving you the few precious seconds you needed to climb out of the mangled vehicle. Tseng grabbed Rufus and pulled him back along the drive away as far as they could get from that thing as Rufus shouted to you. "You'll need this!" And suddenly his shotgun was flying at you. You caught it easily and turned back to the beast as the other two ran away then checked how many rounds you had left. Ten. Perfect.  
  
When the crab had righted itself it and looked around seeing the Junior President was nowhere to be found it set its sights on you and away it charged on its clanking legs as you pumped a few rounds into it from afar. It staggered and hesitated with the damage but kept coming.  
  
"Shit!" You cursed as you kept shooting, counting down how many shells you had left until you had only one and just when you were about to start running. Genesis fell from the sky, harpooning the creature through the middle with his rapier and turning it this was that to scramble the insides and severe its electronic connections. The beast buckled and tried to throw off its attacked but he held on to his sword, using it to steady himself as he pulled it out and jumped off the beast.  
  
When he landed gracefully in front of you the crustacean exploded into pieces and rained hot metal down on the both of you. He shielded you with his body and then dusted off the hot cinders when the thing finally died down. But you noticed the small hint of blood soaking through is uniform over his left shoulder and were about to say something when you heard the chaos coming from back in the mansion. Had more things appeared other than this one?  
  
"There is one more in the mansion." Genesis confirmed and you both ran back towards it.  
  
Inside, the whole place had been torn apart, broken glass lay everywhere as well as bullet holes piercing the walls. Most people had gotten out and now all that was left was Angeal swinging his sword and cutting out the legs of the creature from under it as it crashed down onto its stomach and Sephiroth cleaved it down the middle. Sparks flew everywhere as it convulsed and died.  
  
Silence descended in the room as everyone paused to catch their breaths and you heard Turks in the background shouting orders as sirens blared in the distance.   
  
"Backups on its way, fashionably late as usual." Sephiroth sighed and shook his head.  
  
"Anyone know what the heck this thing is?" Angeal asked as he prodded one of the dead legs with his boot.  
  
It suddenly twitched and you instantly shoved the gun against its carapace and fired the last round without thinking. Everyone flinched at the loud bang and then stared at you with wide eyes.   
  
You rested the shotgun on your shoulder and put a hand to your hip. "What?"  
  
"Itchy trigger finger much?" Sephiroth smirked as the remainder of the glass chandelier, that was blown to smithereens fell on the other side of the room in almost comical timing.  
  
"We live a charmed life." Genesis joked lightly but you noticed his face was a bit pale and he must have been in pain.  
  
"Adamantite metal?" Angeal asked as he bent down and picked up a piece.  
  
"From the Adamantoise....those are only found in Wutai." You noted and stared down at the dead thing. The Wutains were up to no good again and this time targeting the presidents son no less. Perhaps this would give the president the incentive he needed to end this conflict.  
  
Suddenly the MP arrived and Tseng with them. He looked a little tussled but otherwise okay as they all filed into the room with guns at the ready and safety checked the place as you all stood around the creature.  
  
"Glad to see you ended this all quickly." Tseng said as he looked at your handy work.  
  
You handed the shotgun to him. "Thank Rufus for me."  
  
"Lazard is sending a armored car to come pick you all up, just hang tight for a few minutes." He said as he walked away and to other business.  
  
Genesis and Sephiroth turned to talk out the front side of the building and you noted how Genesis held his shoulder to keep the blood for showing but did so in a casual way one might think he was merely massaging out a kink as the both exited. You had your eyes glued to him as he walked away.  
  
"Are you hurt?" Angeal asked, bringing your attention back to the present situation and handing you a white napkin.  
  
You raised a brow to it. "No, why?"  
  
He gestured to your face and you felt your lower lip with your tongue. It tasted of blood and you realized you had cut yourself somewhere along the way but simply didnt notice it until now. Adrenaline was a wonderful thing. There was also ample amounts of cuts on your left arm where the thing has struck you hard.  
  
"Oh!" you gasped and took the napkin then dabbed the blood away. Actually it hurt bad and now the pain and throbbing was just setting in. Your arms and face felt like someone had just taken a baseball bat to it.  
  
"We'd better go get patched up." He suggested and you two left the derelict ball room.  
  
*********  
  
"OW!" You flinched as the on duty medic in Shinra HQ prodded the cuts on your arm to make sure no metal fragments were inside. Even though the battle had ended quickly, no one got away with no injuries weather it was bruises, scrapes, cuts or what not but since you had been hit dead on you took the brunt of it.  
  
"It looks clean, just need to bandage it up." The doctor announced and you stole the bandage roll from his hands impatiently.  
  
"I can do it myself." You said resolutely as you hoped off the medical table and then walked into the next room. Personally you hated visiting doctors and being molested for any reasons weather medical or not so you often treated yourself to save everyone the trouble. What awaited you on the other side was two shirtless men with the most stunningly cut bodies you had ever seen. You paused and just stood there with a straight face staring at the both of them. Sephiroth and Angeal were also tending to themselves.  
  
"I've died and gone to heaven." You said simply and began un peeling the gauze bandage with one hand and your teeth. "Where's Genesis?"  
  
"He went off on his own again." Angeal said as he wrapped his torso with some white strips.  
  
You wondered if you should mention the wound to the others but somehow, you got the feeling Genesis wouldn't appreciate it if you did so you kept your mouth shut. In the back of your mind though, you were worried about that wound. If it was days old then there is no way it would be bleeding that badly. Something about all of this was so strange and it make you feel sick in your gut, like a warning or premonition of bad things to come.  
  
You shook the thought out of your mind and sat down on the bench next to Angeal as you began wrapping up your arm.  
  
"Need help?" He offered.  
  
"No its fine. I need to learn to do this on my own." You said as you grabbed the gauze strip with your mouth and tightened it and tried very hard to get distracted by the bare skin they both amply showed off to you. At least you still had your dress on and it was shoulder less to begin with. The two other guys had to take off their jackets and undershirts but you thanked your lucky stars for that.  
  
Sephiroth only had a few knicks and threw his jacket over his shoulder. "I'll go make our report to the president." and then he walked out leaving you alone with your favorite guy.   
  
"This is why we can't have nice things." You sighed, still trying to work out the bandage.  
  
"You mean the party?"  
  
"Yeah, it was my first time going to something like that and look how it turned out." You groaned. "See, this is why I have no love life."  
  
He chuckled. "I don't know, you and Rufus seemed to hit it off well." but he also wondered inside what had happened between you and Genesis and kept that to himself.   
  
"Way too young for me." You protested in regards to the president's son. "Plus the guy was hiding a shotgun in his Jacket, how creepy is that?"  
  
"But 3 soldiers carrying around big swords is no matter?" He joked.  
  
"At least I know what I'm getting." You countered.  
  
" _Give_ me that." Angeal said with a exasperated tone and snatched the bandage from you with the intention of rolling you himself.  
  
"I'm not a child!" You scolded and tried to grab it back.  
  
"You've spent the last few minutes fumbling with it!" He said as he held it out of arms reach. "Just hold still and let me do it for you."  
  
"You're going to get sick of helping me all the time." You warned as you tried to grab it again and a small struggle ensued.  
  
"It's a man's duty." He frowned.  
  
"It's a woman's perogative!" You countered and tried again. He caught your hands in his above his head, still holding onto the bandages and froze. Your slightly perturbed and pouty face was still adorned with evening makeup and even if it was slightly smudged on your lips it still looked good and so was the dress you wore, though a few blades of grass clung here and there. In other words, you were still temptingly good looking even after biting the dust.  
  
There was a awkward moment of silence between the two of you as you seemed to measure each other up and you felt heat in your face and cleared your throat. "Okay, I give in. Wrap away." You said as you pulled back your hands and held up your forearm.  
  
He silently wrapped the bandage around your arm in a neatly fashion and then tied it off at the end but you could see the small flush of pink in his face and it looked adorable. "There you go." He announced.  
  
"Looks great." You smiled at your arm.  
  
"How is your face?" He asked.  
  
"Well...is the other half still there?" You joked and gestured to yourself.  
  
He titled his body one way and then the other to get a better view and put a hand to his chin as he made a thoughtful noise. Obviously he was teasing you so you crossed your arms over your chest and raised a brow while you waited for his answer. "I don't know its hard to tell...." he teased.  
  
You winced. "Oh now that's just mean!"  
  
He threw his hands up. "Okay, okay..." and then grabbed your chin with one hand, cupping it between this thumb and forefinger. "It's all there and it looks beautiful....as always."  
  
You froze with those words and stared at the strong man in front of you, measuring his words in your mind. Of course you had been told that many times in your life that you were beautiful but they were empty words. Something that was thrown at you to either gain favor with your or placate you but when he said it, it was so sincere and genuine. It was the first time someone said it and you actually believed it. Now you were at a loss for words the way a school girl might be with her classroom crush.  
  
He watched a myriad of things cross your face and then apologized. "I shouldn't have said that with you. You are my superior after all."  
  
You shook your head. "No! Dont apologize! I just....I really believed you when you said it."  
  
He gave you a funny look and then cleared his throat when he finally understood you. You shifted uncomfortably and had no idea what to say next when the door to the front entrance opened and Genesis walked in. The look on his face was strange as he saw you two sitting together on the bench facing each other in a overly friendly way but it quickly masked over as he made his way to the doctors office.  
  
"Just getting my check cup and clearance." He said casually as he walked by.  
  
"Don't give the doctor too hard a time." Angeal joked.  
  
"Depends on how attractive the doctor is." Genesis joked back and all the while you watched him like a hawk. You knew he was hiding his injury and again what he said to you at the party remained in the back of your mind. Whatever had been said to him or had been done to him had warped him totally. You felt the conflict inside of him, saw it with your own eyes and fought with your self on if you should drop it and let it go or find out what was really going on. Your gut instinct though, was to run for the hills.


	13. Start of Deceptions

You gingerly flipped through the files Lazard had just handed to you as he spoke. "With the assination attempt on Rufus a few nights ago the President is giving the go head to send all 4 of your back to Wutai. We have 6 months to end this war for good but its not going to be easy. We are going to need better equipment and resources to make that happen. So, Angeal and Genesis will be mobilized first, you will head out to Junon by the end of this week and then be ferried over to Wutai to Fort Tamblin."  
  
You looked up from the mobilization papers. "And myself and Sephiroth? Why are we not going?"  
  
You and the other 3 men stood around the directors desk and you all glanced at each other.  
  
Lazard explained. "There is something unusual that requires both of you. We have reports of a powerful materia in the middle of the western continent, somewhere between cosmo canyon and the coral mountains. Shinra wants you to hunt it down and Sephiroth will be your backup."  
  
You raised a brow. "The Sleeping Forest...."  
  
"You know it?" Lazard asked.   
  
"Yeah, we were always warned to never go inside of it. All Canyon tribes are forbidden from getting close to it."  
  
"Any reason why?"  
  
"The foliage there is incredibly toxic, in fact, just breathing it in can kill a normal person and the monsters there are undocumented. Its a big unknown and incredibly dangerous place."  
  
Lazard peeked over his glass rims. "Will you Veto?"  
  
You shook your head. "No, not this time. I want to go but you will have to set us up with some oxygen suppliers and antidotes just in case."  
  
"It will be done." he agreed. 'Once that mission is completed, we will forward the both of you to Wutai were you can join the others."  
  
You turned to your partner Sephiroth. "Is it alright if I take the lead?"  
  
He shrugged. "Not at all, this will be interesting if nothing else."  
  
"If its Materia they're hunting, would it not be better to send me with her instead? After all, we are both magically inclined." Genesis interjected casually.  
  
"I prefer to send you out in pairs so if Angeal needs any magical backup you can support him. Sephiroth is physically stronger than y/n so if she needs assistance he can protect her." Lazard said as he took back the mission papers from you.  
  
You gave Genesis a quick look over and wondered about his shoulder. He said nothing to protest Lazard's assessment.   
  
"If there is no objections then I will forward the orders and have you ready by Friday. Be at Junon before 12pm." The director said.  
  
You all said together. "Yes sir."  
  
As you turned to leave Genesis walked with you towards the lift. "A moment of your time My Lady."  
  
Hitting the lift button you simply said. "No."  
  
He cleared his throat, clearly getting that you weren't having any of his nonsense today, and said. "In regards to the other night I want to apologize for overstepping my bounds."  
  
"Good because I'm not sorry for slapping you." You said sternly. "I'm not sure whats going on in your life right now, but what ever it is, learn to deal with it constructively and control your feelings. Or I will deal with you in the best way I know how."  
  
"Ahhhh, threats." He sighed sarcastically. You entered the lift and turned around to face him.  
  
"A simple warning. Tread carefully Rhapsodos." Your voice could not have been more laced with venom and you wanted him to get the picture to stay clear away from you.  
  
He smirked as the door closed.  
  
  
***********  
  
Your computer monitor glowed as you sat in front of it, hands folding up on the desk and your chin resting on it before you decided to type in a name into the file search bar. Genesis and Angeals profiles came up instantly on your screen and you stared at them both intently. This wasnt the first time you had researched them, the first was out of curiousity but this time it was about suspicion. What Genesis had said to you while dancing was bothering you and you wanted to double check any details on him you might have missed. Everything came up normal if not exceptional from his physical abilities to the test scores he had from his school days.  
  
You sighed and rested your chin back on your hands. "Not who we say we are....." You whispered to yourself and closed your eyes. If you had to think back on your own past, to those moments before any sentient recollection, which for you was when you met Professor Gast, there was a big blank. Simply put, no memories existed before that time and you had spent no small amount of time trying to recover them. Even in your meditations as a training mage, nothing came back so these days you had little time to dwell on it nor care with your busy schedule. Now though, it bothered you because to a degree what Genesis had said was true.  
  
And then another name or word came to your mind. Jenova. You heard it plain as day when you had mega casted in Banora but had no idea what it meant but somehow, that word felt dirty. You said it to yourself once and felt disdain and having uttered it like some cuss word mother told you never to say when you were a child.  
  
You typed the name into the search bar and press enter only to have a big red classified lock screen pop up on you. That right there caught you off guard. "Classified?" if it had that restriction on it, it meant it existed or else the search would simply say not applicable. There was no way you had a code or clearance to access it so trying was futile.  
  
"What the hell is Jenova?" You asked yourself as a knock came at your door. You quickly flicked off the screen and said. "Enter."  
  
To your surprise Lazard came to pay you a visit.  
  
"Director?" You raised a brow. "It's unlike you to leave the upper floors."  
  
"I wanted to have a private talk with you before you leave and this place is much more secure than my office." He admitted and closed the door behind him.   
  
"What's going on?" you asked carefully.  
  
He stated plainly. "Someone's been accessing your files."  
  
You paused for a moment and weren't at all surprised. "Genesis."  
  
"Most likely. Did something happen between the two of you?"  
  
"We are having our differences." You said.  
  
Lazard took off his glasses and sighed. "Hence why I paired him with Angeal. Angeal can keep a close eye on him."  
  
"So I'm not the only one who noticed his change of behavior recently."  
  
"We've all noticed." Lazard said. "So i'm just here to tell you personally to be careful."  
  
"What happened to him?" You asked.  
  
"He had a accident in the VR training room about a week ago with Sephiroth and Angeal."  
  
"What kind of accident?"  
  
"He was injured but medical already checked him out and gave him clearance to continue his missions." Lazard cleaned his glasses with a hanky before putting them back on.   
  
You thought to yourself, if that wound were a week old then why was it not healing? He was obviously hiding its condition from everyone but then how on earth could medical clear him with and injury like that? You looked at Lazard carefully and had a feeling that you weren't getting the entire story.   
  
"What aren't you telling me?" You asked suspiciously.  
  
"Nothing at all." He shrugged as he turned to the door.  
  
"What's Jenova?" You blurted out suddenly and he froze but didn't turn towards you.  
  
"I have no idea." He said flatly. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"I recall that name from somewhere...but I forget where. Anyway, just wondering if you've heard of it." You said off handedly.  
  
"Can't say that I have..." He shrugged and left abruptly.  
  
  
*********  
  
Pain wracked through his body as he convulsed on the operating table and Hollander did his best to control it with no small amount of pain killers and chemicals. His shoulder burned with fire as the wound oozed dirty blood and saw the flesh of his arm and shoulder begin to rot and wither. It was no use, all of the chemicals the doctor pumped into him did nothing and had lost their effect meaning his degradation was only progressing and now he was out of options.  
  
"Give it some more time Genesis." Hollander stated as he wiped sweat from his brow and sat down in his chair. Next to him was a glass of White Banora juice that he eagerly gulped down. The past few hours had been a trial for both of them. Blood transfusions were just a band aid to keep him alive and served no healing purpose. The wound simply refused to heal with any therapy which meant that Genesis's own DNA was unravelling at a steady pace...and Hollander didnt want him knowing about that. He had convinced Genesis that he had a cure and that only he could help him. Having been sacked from his position as head of science department in Shinra years before he now had a prime opportunity to get his revenge and Genesis was a convenient tool for it. "These things do take time but I highly recommend you quit talking with that mage. You are going to blow our cover."  
  
Genesis gasped for air as he breathed through the pain. "No need to worry about her....She won't even come near me at this point...she despises me...Graaaahhhhhhhh!" Genesis growled in frustration and agony. Up to now he had though he was the son of wealthy landlords from Banora but the truth was, they were only his adopted parents appointed to him by Shinra when he was a infant. Genesis, from a biological standpoint was not even human as Hollander had revealed to him and now his whole world fell to pieces just like his ravaged diseased body. He would never be a hero at this point, all those Soldier dreams laid to waste and ruin just like him and now all that remained was a growing need for revenge and destruction against everything and himself. He hated the world at that moment.  
  
"If you want to keep her around then try to get her to join us. We could use more allies and she would be instrumental. Sephiroth in particular." Hollander suggested with dark implications. They both knew that aside from you, Sephiroth was the next biggest threat and if they wanted to get anywhere with their plans then he would have to removed from the equation. Genesis didn't like the thought of betraying friends but he wanted to live more than anything else and he wanted to prove himself the hero he so desperately wanted to be.   
  
"It's not Sephiroth you have to worry about its your son." Genesis sneered.  
  
Hollander had to give that comment a small smile. Angeal was his pride and joy after all even if his own progeny was by definition, also a monster. Created in the same way that Genesis and Sephiroth had been but with much different results. Unfortunately for Genesis, he had gotten the short end of the stick when it came to the Jenova project, something that he was much aware of in his current state. "He is smitten with her eh? A chip off the old block."  
  
"And she with him." Genesis sighed as he wiped sweat from his brow. "It wasn't supposed to be like this......."  
  
"Then I seriously suggest you rethink your strategy with women because so far whatever it is your doing is not working."  
  
He made a small "Chhh" sound in annoyance. "She's stubborn."  
  
The big bearded man wiped his lips with the back of his hands. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe she isn't what you believe she is?"  
  
"I know what I saw in Gongaga!" Genesis growled. "No human can control a summon like Alexander and then there was that statue left behind in Banora from centuries ago. Its in her likeness, there is no doubt about it, she is the Goddess from the LOVELESS legend and for whatever reason she has forgotten her true nature. You scoured her records yourself and saw how questionable her background was and you've seen the statue with your own eyes."  
  
"Questionable in the fact that she has no birth record on file. Its standard protocol for that to be given over to Shinra as well as any medical records. She has none, not even the basic blood tests and analysis but then again I heard the science and medical department were restricted access from her by the presidents own orders none the less."  
  
"And why would they hide that?"  
  
"Who can say? And that presidential order itself may have been forged. There's been a rumor going around about Lazard fudging documents in the Soldier Department and then there was that old timer Professor Gast from 16 years ago...."  
  
"So they helped her then...."  
  
"It would appear so."  
  
"Hmmmmm, the president doesn't seem to be aware of what his people are doing. She won't give up Shinra so easily so long as Angeal is still around."  
  
Hollander paused for a moment and then he suggested a even more nefarious idea. "Who says you can't take her by force?"  
  
Genesis paused for a moment to consider it but even he had limits and that was one of them. "Absolutely not! If she comes to me it will be on her own free will."  
  
"And if she comes to you as your enemy what then? You have no chance against her. Are you willing to kill her if she doesn"t comply? You're playing with fire Rhapsodos and I wont jeapordize our plan just so you can play hero with the lass. You'd best forget about her completely and focus on what we're going to do next. If you want to be healed completely...there's a few things I'm going to need from you."  
  
  
***********  
  
 _Oh boy....poor Rhapsodos cant catch a break in my story. If anyone has played crisis core you know where this is heading, and the outcome is not going to be happy. Its been hard to imagine what transpired between the accident in the training room and the beginning of crisis core for him specifically so I really have to think hard on what sort of conversation him and Hollander would be having. I may write Genesis as being a bit overzealous for the sake of the story and the perspective, which is my OC (you the reader) but honestly I really like him as a character and all his complications. I wish I could write more romantic things for him but since the OC is based on my personality I have to lean towards Angeal as a romantic interest._


	14. Sleeping Forest

The back lift of the Gelnika opened up and wind tore through the cabin as you stood inches from the platforms edge looking down at the green forest below. It was a good day for flying. The sun was up, not a cloud in the sky and from 10,000 feet up you could see the distinct round shape of the dense vegetation called the "sleeping forest."  
  
You adjusted your mask and viewed it through your lenses and some statistics and info was displayed and made some mental notes on how to approach this mission. Inside were signs of materia, even your monitor could pick up the distinct wavelengths of ether energy that permeated the place. The fact that you could sense it from so far up meant that this materia was not ordinary. It was huge, powerful and incredibly rare.  
  
Sephiroth approached you from behind and peeked over your shoulder as his own long white hair was whipped around by the harsh wind. He had a large backpack on that held everything you needed for the mission slung over one shoulder. "You sure about this?"  
  
You turned your head to him and raised a brow. "Afraid of heights?"  
  
He frowned. "Heights are one thing, falling out of the sky is another."  
  
"Do you trust me?"  
  
"Do I have a choice?" He smirked.  
  
You turned around to face him so you were standing chest to chest. "You can always say no."  
  
"I was joking." He said dryly.  
  
You saw Angeal's face in the back of the cabin where he and Genesis sat on some wooden crates watching you two from a safe distance.   
  
"You two be careful!" He called out.  
  
You gave a small wave and smile. "See you all soon!"  
  
Genesis didnt even bother to look at you as he had his face firmly planted in his book and you expected as much. You two hadnt gotten along at all since the incident at the Gala and frankly distancing yourself from him was probably the best course of action. You were happy to have Sephiroth on this mission with you.  
  
You held out your hands with your palms up and looked at your silver haired companion. He raised a brow and looked at your hands before putting his leather bound ones in your and locking wrists with you.   
  
"Take a deep breath!" You warned with a smile as you let yourself fall backwards and off the plane's lift with him being pulled out with you.  
  
Suddenly you two were diving head first towards the forest below, free falling without a parachute for a few seconds as you activated one of the many materias on your person and very slowly your fall broke until you two were floating comfortably towards to forest canopy. Still hand in hand you lowered the both of you to the forest floor and your feet touched brown leafy earth.  
  
Only then did you let his hands go and used a few moments to straighten your hair and dust off any foliage that clung to you as you descended. Once you were all settled you looked around and took a moment to analyze everything with your lenses. As expected many plants had big question marks displayed on screen and a foggy haze clung to the air that stunk of something organic. To be on the safe side you decided to put on masks.  
  
"Gear up." You commanded as Sephiroth dropped the big shoulder bag and fished out two filter masks which you both promptly strapped on to your faces and tightened. It covered only the nose and mouth leaving your eyes free to look around.   
  
As you started walking into the forest your lenses started to go on the fritz and static began disturbing your vision. You took the lifted the mask and set it on top of your head like a headband. "Things going crazy....interference."  
  
"No signal?" Sephiroth asked with a muffled voice.  
  
You shook your head. "No, the ether in this place is too strong so its messing with the data feed. We have to do this the old fashion way." You stripped off one glove and held up your left hand to the air with the palm facing out and tried to feel the vibrations drifting through the air. Indeed you felt the pickly sensation of magic in the air and could use your own body as a tuning fork to home in on its source. It was still far off but you could at least sense it.  
  
"This way." You pointed and you two began walking again.  
  
"Can you tell how far away it is?" he asked out of curiosity.  
  
"Not exactly, I can get a rough estimate though and I would guess about 3 kilometers. If I can feel it this far out though, it means its big. Even from the Gelnika I could feel it."  
  
"Something about this place seems off."   
  
"I think the magic is bending time and space to a degree. We will have to be careful or we might end up going in circles." you shrugged.  
  
An hour into your trek and a large, dog sized insect walked across the ground in front of you and disappeared into the bushes. You stopped, stared at it silents and obviously shuddered but thanked god it wasn't interested in any of you. God you hated bugs and fought hard not to vomit at the size of that one.  
  
Someone chuckled behind you. "Afraid of insects are we?"  
  
"I wouldn't be a women if I weren't!" you defended yourself. "Give me some credit though, i didn't scream."  
  
A shock wave of power suddenly ripped through the air, tearing through your mind and body like pins and needles as you gasped and grabbed your head in pain. Falling to one knee, Sephiroth immidiately grabbed your shoulder as you rode out the aweful feeling and recovered.  
  
"Even I felt that." Sephiroth stated as he looked around.  
  
"Something knows we are here and its not happy." You growled and shook of the last of your vertigo. Suddenly the whole forest seemed to come alive, as if it were all breathing as one being. Leaves rustled, vines slithered, birds chirped and you knew whatever was guarding that materia had set the whole forest against you. It was just waiting for you to step into the right place.   
  
A large stalked pink flower next to you suddenly lifted its head, spread its petals and tried to blow spores on you but you quickly cut it down with your hand, a flash of light flying out and cutting the stalk in half. In the distance you could hear the voices of other things awakening and most likely trying to sniff you out.  
  
"Step lively." You said as you got up and walked quickly through the foliage. Any and all things could be enemies so you two cut down anything that moved as you went along until you came to a very large round clearing. A type of glen shaded by sunlight with only a few whisps of it streaming in through the thick canopy above. It was a very big place, easily the size of a small sports field and seemed like it should have housed something. In the middle sat a abnormally large, giant sized red flower in full bloom just sitting there, trying to drink up the small rays of sunlight. In the middle of its lush bloom sat something sparkling, Materia.  
  
"Something tells me we cant just waltz up to it and take that." Sephiroth said plainly.  
  
"Is it ever that easy?" You smirked.  
  
He took out his long sword and sighed. "Let's get this over with then."  
  
Carefully you two walked up to the large flower and you reached out to take the materia but another shock wave of power shot from it causing you to cry out and back away, holding your hand as if stung. The flower's petals suddenly lifted up and closed over the materia, protecting it in its bud as something ripped around you.  
  
Earth and dirt flew up as vines and roots shot up from the ground, tearing themselves from their moors and the entire flower lifted itself up. The vines wrapped around themselves to form crude leg like structures as it tore its own vines hanging from the trees and used those as arms. The entire area suddenly came alive and tried to tangle you in its foliage.  
  
"Watch it!" You shouted as you cut down the tendrils that tried to grab at you, using your spells to burn, singe and fry your way out as you backed up and tried to get some room.   
  
"Go for the Materia, I'll back you up!" Sephiroth called out as he sliced with ease, all the vines criss crossing and shooting towards you.   
  
You gladly complied and raced towards it ready to strike. With fire in your palm your plunged your fist into the closed bud ready to burn it to a cinder the but creature easily absorbed your blow and the materia send out another shockwave that threw you back. You caught your fall and skidded across the ground.  
  
"What the....?" You pondered as it seemed the materia was using the plant to protect itself, not the other way around. Had that materia made the forest manifest like this?  
  
Sephiroth charged forward and swung his Masamune in a wide arch that hit the creature right in the middle. Its petals fell apart but moments later reconstructed themselves and you were back to square one. Almost nothing survived a direct strike from his sword.  
  
You suddenly had a odd idea. "Hold it, dont raise your sword!"  
  
"And let it strangle us to death?" He raised a brow.  
  
"Something about this is different." You stated as you stepped forward, motioning him to stay behind you and out of the way. The flower turned on its vine like legs to you and reached out with its tendrils. It ensnared your arms and legs, hoisting you up into the air and held you above it bloom. You stared down at the flower bud and reached out with your mind to the materia within, once your mind connected with it something sparked, like a hint of consiousness laying dormant in the stone. This materia was so old, so enormous that is had its own soul. While materia itself was a collection of subconscious memories condensed into the stone, this was no different but in a greater level that it reached sentience.   
  
That conciousness connected with yours and felt you out and there was a moment of recognition, of resemblence and a voice that followed. _"I have been waiting for you."_  
  
 _"How? What are you?"_ you asked back with your mind.  
  
 _"I am you, you are me. I am eternal living fire and light, sent into this world to protect it from Jenova and aid the one who will be her nemesis. I give this power to you now, Minerva."  
  
"Minerva? Who? Me?" _Nothing it said to you made any sense.  
  
" _Destroy her, Destroy Jenova!_ " The voice commanded as it lowered you to the ground and opened its petals to you. As if in a trance you reached up and took it in both your hands as power unlike anything you had felt before flooded your body. White hot power and fire. Flames erupted from your body as you screamed and Sephiroth had to shield his face from the brilliant light that filled the glen. Wings of fire sprouted from your back as the Phoenix bird wrapped its mighty wings around you and embraced you the way it might protectively hold its offspring and the whole forest erupted into ethereal flames.  
  
Sephiroth backed up from the heat, it was too intense to try to reach and all he could do was shield himself. With his arm covering his face from the light that could scorch the human eye just by gazing at it, he dared to peek over his arm and saw your shadow within the flames, being engulfed and eaten but somehow alive and thriving.  
  
But when you turned your body towards him and he saw the raw white power in your eyes and the way your face blankly looked at him he felt something entirely new to him: Fear.  
  
 _Purposterous_ , he though to himself, that he of all people should be fearful of anything or anyone is this world! He was the strongest and the best was he not and yet looking at you in that moment he came to a very startling conclusion, you could wipe him off the face of the earth and not break a sweat doing it. He felt so small then, like frightened animal that was caught in the eyes of its predator and too shocked to decide to fight or run.  
  
Then you took two steps towards him slowly and raised your hand as if to reach out to him. With all the fire surrounding you, you looked like a avenging angel raining holy hell down on the world, on him, and he backed away. For in that moment he saw it too, this creature that Genesis had seen, this women dressed in gold and blue armor with flowing golden hair and a crown of jewels. Sweat breaking out on his forehead and back as panic set in and the primordial part of him that was not human commanded him to action. _Don't let her touch you! Run away! She will destroy you!_  
  
He gasped in fear as his eyes flew open and the hand that was reaching for him suddenly found its way around his throat throwing him back against the tree behind him with such force he couldn't resist it. Waves of power washed through her and over him, forcing his arms out to the sides the way one might look being crucified on the cross and he was stuck there helplessly while the hand at his throat closed ever tighter.  
  
You eyes were sheer white, gone and lost in your frenzy as you became something else entirely, gazing into his green eyes and something sparked between the two of you. Something so deep and innate it could only be called instinct. Like one soul recognizing another but it wasn't friendly. Suddenly he became aware of some strange notion that he had known you before, from a long time ago, in another life, in another form but you two had not been allies. But before he could dwell anymore on that idea, you suddenly let him go and backed away as you held your head in pain.  
  
You screamed as the flow of life, energy and memories abruptly stopped, the materia falling out of your hands to the ground. You fell to your knees and grabbed your head as the most massive headache you had ever felt set in and you clenched your jaw against the pain, growling between your teeth until it had subsided enough for you to function again.  
  
And there you both were, panting from nearly killing each other and totally at a loss for words. You had no idea what had just happened and had no concept of time or reality during those few moments you had just tried to strangle the life out of your partner. While he grabbed his throat and gasped for air as he massaged the flesh and bent over, regaining himself and letting the panic leave his body and mind.  
  
In both your minds though you had one common question going through it: _What the hell was that?_  
  
When you finally caught your breath and could think straight again you looked up with a confused face. "Did something just happen?"  
  
He needed a moment to think his answer through. "In a manner of speaking." He said cryptically, aware that you were unaware of your last few moments.  
  
You picked up the fallen materia and looked at it. "I've never felt anything like this. It's power is so immense I dont see how it can exist as materia. The science lab is going to have a field day with this one."   
  
Sephiroth tossed the black bag towards you as you fished out a metal canister and placed the rock inside. When you looked over your shoulder behind you there was the charred remains of the giant plant you had just fought, smoke still rising from its ashen body. "Uh...when did that happen?"  
  
"Just now." He answered, keeping his distance from you for good reasons.   
  
You scratched your head in confusion but shook it off, stood up and slung the backpack over your shoulder. "We're done here."  
  
And the two of you began your long trek out of the forest.  
  
"Director, Mission accomplished." You stated into your phone as you two walked along.  
  
"That was faster than I expected, well done!" Lazard said cheerfully from the other end. "But you are going to have to wait a bit for a shuttle out of their. All our planes and helicopters are in use at this time. Can you make it to the nearest town?"  
  
"Shouldn't be a problem." You said.  
  
"I'll arrange a pick up for you within the next 48 hours. Lay low until then."  
  
You hung up the phone and turned to your partner. "We're not far from Scarborough. We'll head there for the night."  
  
*********  
  
Getting out of the forest was generally easy so long as you followed the setting sun and by night fall you reached the vast plateau that laid beyond and saw the distance light of Scarborough some miles in the distance. It was a fair sized town, very country esque and had a certain romantic old style flair to it. Luckily, it was one of the wealthier frontier villages on the western continent and took in large revenue from its vineyards and wine stock which was often exported to Midgar. You knew the president himself as well as the high socialites enjoyed wine from this region. More importantly though, it was Shinra friendly and you didnt have to worry about being harassed by any into government sentiments upon entering.  
  
The nice glass lamps light your path as you walked down the old cobblestone roadway into town and straight up to the first in you saw, entered and ordered a room for the night. The inn keeper was flabbergasted at the tall white haired man at your side and just a tad star struck to have such a prestigious guest grace his inn.  
  
"I deeply apologize but we only have one room available. If we had known in advance we could have prepared better accomodations for you...." The old inn keeper said resentfully.  
  
You waved a hand. "Its no problem, this was very unplanned for. Whatever you have is fine."  
  
"The room has a king size bed and is nice and clean. Its up on the second floor." He said as he signed you in his guestbook and handed you a key. "Please have a good night."  
  
You accepted the key and tossed it to you partner. He caught it one handed and headed up the wood stairs of the old building. It creaked loudly as you two unlocked the room and entered.  
  
With out hesitation you walked to the window, threw the back the closed curtains and checked behind them, then walked the perimeter of the room and checked in the closet, the bathroom and then felt the objects on the fireplace mantel for anything that might be a microphone or camera. Meanwhile Sephiroth watched you with amusement, his arms crossed over his chest, as you did all this.  
  
"You're far too thorough." He remarked.  
  
"Its an old habit." You said as you finished and then commandeered the large bed, stripped off your gauntlets and tossed them into the thick duvet as you undid your corset and other accessories.  
  
"The town is very Shinra friendly, we have nothing to worry about." He said as he sat at the end of his own bed.  
  
"That may be so....but i prefer to keep myself in total anonymity. Lets keep the knowledge of my comings and goings to a minimum." You said off handed as you took the black bag from him and emptied its contents onto the small table in the center of the room and setting the materia canister aside among the other supplies you had.   
  
While you were distracted Sephiroth used the opportunity to measure you up, look you over from head to toe and mentally debate with himself over what happened in the forest. It was plain as day what he saw and felt and it bothered him. You were so outwardly friendly and professional who knew you could have that sort of thing dwelling inside of you. He had already seen some of your powers in action in Gongaga, but this was on another level. It was simply not human and while he prided himself on his own abilities, you were something else entirely. God like in one way, but far too human in your humbleness. It was a good act, if nothing more and he knew you were holding out on them all for good reasons. Which bothered him more, the fact that you were probably the one person on earth who could kill him or the fact that you KNEW you could but hid it?  
  
 _How annoying_ , he thought to himself, that you would subdue your own brilliance at the behest of other people. It was something he would never do but then again he had never cared for anything much in his life other than the few friends he made in Shinra. His feelings were not as deep as yours and he couldn't get inside your head the way he could the other men, namely Angeal and Genesis. Men in general, were easy to figure out. Perhaps that was why he had never had a serious girlfriend in his life, other than the few ladies he dated on occassion or the ones he took to his bed for entirely basic necessities, he never thought to dwell on what they were thinking. He had assumed, they weren't thinking much if anything at all beyond the fact that they were sleeping and hanging out with the equivalent of a rock star in the soldier world. On that note, you were probably the only women who would ever reject him if he made a move on you and that notion was enticing. He was never interested in what came easy and could never respect anyone who made it so.   
  
His concentration was broken by the sound of your phone wringing which you picked up from your bed and looked at. "Its Angeal..." you announced as you flipped it open and walked back to the table to survey your supplies.  
  
"Good Evening." You said cheerfully into the reciever.  
  
"I'm not calling too late am I?" He asked.  
  
You glanced at the clock by the bed. "Nah, its only 11pm after all."  
  
"I wanted to apologize for lampooning you in the forest butwe had to barrow all the air forces for our mission in Wutai.It was unexpected."  
  
"Is everything alright?"  
  
"Nothing we cant handle." He said confidently. "Are you still in the forest?"  
  
"No we made it to the land of wine and cheese."  
  
"Scarborough?" He laughed.  
  
"Yup. I should thank you for that, I happen to adore wine." You smiled into the phone.  
  
"How was your mission?"  
  
"It went as expected."   
  
"Is Sephiroth with you now?"  
  
"Yeah." You glanced at the man sitting on the bed who began unbuckling his jacket and boots. "You want to talk to him?"  
  
"No, i don't want to bother him. Are you two in the same room?" He asked in a funny tone.  
  
You smirked to yourself and Sephiroth watched you from the other side. "Yessssssssss. Why?"  
  
".....nothing at all. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Have a good night." He said quickly.  
  
"Are you jealous?"  
  
There was a long pause. "No I trust him, he wouldn't force himself on a woman."  
  
You frowned, that wasn't the answer you wanted to hear. Sephiroth saw your expression and held back a laugh but decided to give you a hand. He walked over and abruptly grabbed your phone and said calmly into it. "You should know that all's fair in love and war." and he curtly flipped the phone shut, ending the conversation and cutting the other guy off.  
  
You gasped and stared at him in horror. "Oh no you didn't!"  
  
"That should give him some motivation." He smirked and held your phone out of reach so you couldn't call Angeal back. "Let him dwell on that tonight."  
  
You struggled to get your phone back. "Since when did you care about my love life?"  
  
"You want him to ask you out right?" Sephiroth raised a brow but still had a sly smile on his face. "Angeal can sometimes be slow to act but trust me, if there's competition it will drive him harder."  
  
You gave a very exasperated sigh and flopped yourself face first onto your bed. In a muffled voice you said, "You three are impossible."  
  
"It might do you well to make the first move and ask him instead if you cant wait." He shrugged.  
  
You rolled over onto your side and said confidently. "Pshhh..I chase after no man."   
  
He laughed at that. "Ohhhhhh Cheeky. Good, a women like you should never cheapen herself for anyone or anything."  
  
"Well said." You said in agreement, rolled over onto your stomach and shoved the pillow under your chin.  
  
He finished peeling off his pauldrons and jacket and hung it at the end of the bed as he laid down on his back and tucked his arms under his head. You both took a few seconds to relax and breathe deep as the night carried on. It was so quiet out in this part of the world, only crickets chirping in the night which would be a far cry from what awaited you in Wutai. You yawned big and closed your eyes, your mind felt unbelievably heavy and tired and resisting sleep at this point was futile.  
  
Glancing over at your shadow across the room, he raised himself up on his elbows to see if you had fallen asleep. Indeed you had and were already curled up like a small animal with your pillow, snoozing softly and peacefully. Such a far cry from the horror he endured in the earlier part of the day but for tonight his human side won over and he felt a small inclination of something as he watched you sleep. A type of soft meandering that one might feel looking at a sleeping cat, or a sleeping lion to be more accurate. He wouldn't dare rouse or wake you knowing full well you could bite his head off at any time. Maybe for the sake of kindness or some odd desire for self destruction, he got up and loosely tossed duvet over you so you were rolled up like a sloppy burrito and then settled back down on his side of the bed.  
  
  



	15. On the Eve of Betrayal

Angeal slashed his sword at the enemies that surrounded him and felled them in one swift blow. His fellow soldiers followed after him as he cleared the field and began pursuing the group of resistance fighters who were attempting to retreat up the mountain side. Their battle had gone on long enough for him to take out a good chunk of their forces but they also seemed to have walked in on their enemy red handed, as they were desperately trying to transport something across the Doa Cho plains. This something, was anyone's guess but they were mighty insistent on not letting a red laquered chest which two men ferried fall into enemy hands. Now those two men were running as fast as their legs could carry them as they bolted for the safety of the upcoming tree line that based Mount Doa Cho. By the green and red color of their clothes, and the brocaded sashes they had about their waists they were most definately Wutain locals.  
  
Angeal knew if they made it to the tree's then most likely he would loose them and he growled at himself that his legs couldn't carry him faster.  
  
"Dont let them into the trees!" He commanded the other armed soldiers with him but they two were struggling to keep up. No one could outrun a first class soldier as much as they wished they could.   
  
But then something large and fast casted a heavy shadow over them in the middle of the day, blocking out the sun as it raced over the soldiers and towards the runaways. Wings beat against the wind as a large serpentine creature raced across the tree line, opening its gaping fanged mouth and breathed a string of fire so pungent and deadly the entire forest erupted into flames. With their path blocked and their faces burning from the heat radiating from the sudden inferno, the men dropped the box and covered their faces with their long robed arms. They were suddenly surrounded as guns pointed at them from all directions and Shinra Soldiers forced them to their knees, locking their arms behind their backs and stripping them of any and all weapons.  
  
Angeal breathed a sigh of relief at having his prayers answered from above and looked up at the red serpent who's rider was all to familiar. As the beast circled around again it landed roughly some feet from him as its taloned feet kicked up a plume of dust upon its decent and it shook its long head side to side the way a dog might. When it lowered its head and lifted its enormous claw to allow the rider to come down from her stead, Angeal jogged his way over to it gave her a hand.  
  
You accepted the hand and jumped down from your summoned dragon as you ruffled your long purple locks back into place. The beast next to you seemed to purr as it laid its big head on your shoulder and you patted its long snout tenderly.  
  
"Well done Fafnir. Rest now." You kissed its snout lightly as it dissolved into small flecks of light and the beast was no more.  
  
Angeal flashed you one of his handsome smiles. "The Battlefield Maiden arrives. You always have impeccable timing."  
  
You shrugged and returned the smile. "It was no small feat catching up to you!""  
  
"Weren't you sent on another mission on the southern end of Wutai?"  
  
"I was, we finished and I wanted to check up on you."  
  
"I'm glad you came then."  
  
"Yes, I should think you would be?" You gave a flirtatious smile.  
  
Another soldier interrupted you both. "Sir, what should we do with them?"  
  
Angeal turned to address the issue at hand. "Bring them back for interrogation and inspect that chest."  
  
You peeked over his shoulder at the mentioned item. "What is this?"  
  
"Wutain forces were trying hard to transport this cargo across Doa Cho, we have no idea what it is though." He admitted as you two approached the chest.  
  
"May I?" You asked and he nodded as you tipped the big chest up right and then broke the lock one handed. When you flipped back the heavy lid you both peeked down inside and were silent.  
  
The items inside looked like triangle shaped plates, each one the size of a human hand and colored a interesting shade of blue that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. By all means, they looked like some sort of antiquity to the untrained eye but you knew what they were right off the bat.  
  
"Leviathan Scales." You said buntly and picked one up.  
  
He raised a brow. "Scales of the sea god?"  
  
"Yes....these are insanely valuable and can be sold on the black market for a pretty gil." You set the scale back down and scratched your chin in wonder.   
  
"I've also heard the best bullet proof armor is crafted from those." Angeal added.  
  
Something about it bothered you, the fact that only recently weapons were being smuggled, adamantite appeared on rogue robots and now Levathian scales were being shuffled across the country. What on earth were the Wutains trying to build? If they could put all those things together, even someone like you would have a hard time combating the end results.   
  
"We can dwell on this later, pack it up boys." Angeal commanded as two soldiers took the box of scales and another two roughly pulled to the prisoners to their feet and nudged them with their guns to get walking.  
  
**********  
  
"You're being recalled." Lazard stated bluntly as You, Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth stood around your laptop computer and watched the director via the convenience of online video.  
  
"So quickly? We've only been here a week." Sephiroth asked with a bit of annoyance in his voice.  
  
"Things have been going so well the past few days Shinra is confidant it can end the war swiftly without any further intervention from the First Classies." Lazard explained. "There is one mission left, to investigate the Doa Cho caves for further insurgents but all 4 of you are not needed."  
  
"Who are you sending?" You asked.  
  
"Genesis has volunteered."  
  
You glanced at him across the room and his face, as was usual these days, was strangely blank. Suddenly you shivered and goosebumps ran down your arms as you controlled the sudden thought that something was amiss. Genesis almost never volunteered for anything so why the heck would Doa Cho be of any interest to him? His eyes suddenly met yours and for one moment you knew that he was hiding a lot more than his wound. He quickly averted his gaze and said something snarky to throw you off.  
  
"Quit looking at me like that Lady Mage, one might start to think that you're in love." He smirked.  
  
You rolled your eyes and looked back at your screen as Angeal spoke up. "When's rendevous?"  
  
"Tomorrow morning at 10." Lazard continued.  
  
"When's Genesis mission?" You suddenly asked.  
  
"Tomorrow night why?"  
  
"I'm going with him." You said without thinking it through, you had to follow your gut though and that at present moment felt sour.  
  
"Two are not needed." Genesis said in annoyance.   
  
"I agree with him. It would be a waste of your time." Lazard said.  
  
You bit your lip and didn't disagree but deep down you felt the incredible urge to keep and eye on this man because if you didn't he was going to do something regretful. You glanced at Angeal and wondered if he was thinking the same as you. Surely, he of all people would know if Genesis was up to something.  
  
You decided to press further. "Time is not an issue, I'd rather be working that sitting around my office all day. Come one, one more person couldn't hurt."  
  
Lazard raised his brow and looked long and hard at you, after all, you had only recently requested Genesis be restricted from pairing up with you. He knew you well enough to understand when you had suspicions and trusted your intuition so he agreed to it. "Have it your way."  
  
And after a few more official words and praises he clocked out leaving the 4 of you to yourselves in Fort Tamblin. The makeshift strategy room was actually a bunker covered with maps and other references on the walls while dim overhead lamps lit the otherwise dull and lifeless room.   
  
"One minute you can't stand me, the other you are practically begging to be with me.I'm glad to know I evoke such interesting feelings in you my lady." Genesis added as he walked out of the room leaving you to fume at him in silence.  
  
"Ass..."You said under your breath.  
  
"And that's that." Sephiroth said indignantly. "Shinra surely enjoys yanking our chains these days."  
  
"One of the small inconveniences a Soldier must suffer with patience." Angeal added wisely.  
  
"If you say so." Sephiroth said sarcastically.  
  
"I think we all need a vacation after this." You interjected. "You know I hear Costa Del Sol is nice this time of year...."  
  
"You didn't strike me as the beach going type." Sephiroth smirked.  
  
"Yeah I know, imagine my frumpy butt in a swimsuit." You said back sarcastically.  
  
He glanced at Angeal before saying back. "Considering our time together in Scarborough, I've seen you in less and have to disagree with the "frumpy" part."   
  
"Thanks...What..Wait! What's that supposed to mean!?" You gasped as he flashed you a sly smile and walked away with his hands behind his back without answering.  
  
Angeal was speechless with eyes wide as he watched his leather clad friend leave the room and only you two were left. You quickly turned to him and wagged a finger. "Nothing happened!"  
  
"I didnt say anything did." He protested and put up his hands.  
  
"You were thinking it!" You scolded as you folded your laptop and shut it down.  
  
"Can you blame a guy?" He defended himself and followed you out of the room. "There are few women in the world who can resist a man like Sephiroth."  
  
You rolled your eyes. "It's going to take a lot more than pretty eyes and abs of steal to win me over."  
  
As you two made your way up the cement stairs and into the twilight world above, he had to ask. "What _would_ it take?"  
  
You stopped in your tracks and turned to him with a raised brow. "Are you asking me seriously?"  
  
"Of course." He said with his mouth set in a firm line which meant he was nervous but trying to hide it well.  
  
You thought about it a moment before answering. "Someone like you." It was a simple answer but meant everything. It was never about looks and status with you but all about how valued someone made you feel. Frankly you could have been happy with even the poorest of men, so long as he treated you like a queen and made every effort to love you. You were intelligent enough to know who could and couldn't provide that and Angeal was the only one out of the handful to men you hung around who would even cut it close but you weren't about to tell him anything and hoped that one day he would get the picture.  
  
He looked at you for a moment and his expression softened. "Y/n......"  
  
You gave a small smile and bid him good night. "I'll see you off tomorrow morning. Have a good night." and when you turned to leave you looked up at the clear sky. The arm of the Galaxy could be seen faintly in the sky which meant that winter was coming soon and you suddenly remembered what time of year it was.  
  
"Stardicca..." You said under your breath as you walked back to your lodgings. This time of year was a special holiday in the Canyon that had been celebrated for Milleniums, a time of praying for loved ones and reflection. But you hadn't celebrated it in years since your annexation from the tribe and felt no connection to it other than museful passings. Still, it was a beautiful night out in the countryside of Wutai and a shame you and Angeal didnt have time to enjoy it together but such was your luck and you looked forward to returning to Midgar. But something twinkled and flashed in the constellation of Scorpio that you shouldnt have ignored and it meant dark things to come.


	16. Fate of Our Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> n the beginning of FF Crisis Core, Lazard plainly states that Genesis defected during a mission in Wutai. I want to explore more of the dialogue that would have gone on between him and other characters, because surely someone would have known about his current state of mind, or even Angeal himself might have had some inkling that something was about to go down. I dont think for one moment everyone was in the dark about his desire to defect. Lets bridge that gap and find out what he was doing before the start of the game. Enjoy!

"Lead the way." You said with a off hand gesture as you greeted your comrade for this evenings mission right outside the barricades of Fort Tamblin. According to your watch it was midnight and the perfect time to sneak about the Doa Cho area without fear of being spotted or targeted by insurgents.  
  
Genesis nodded. "We'll head to the Doa Cho Forest where the resistors were last spotted and continue our surviellence from there." You were heading slightly northwest to the edge of the forest where the two other Wutain resistors were apprehended with the dragon scales a day before and you carefully noted his demeanor and overall atmosphere as you two walked on.  
  
When you broke through familiar trees and come upon a large glen where the chest had been recovered you remarked. "You know....I have to wonder why they are collecting Leviathan Scales. Perhaps you would know?"  
  
"Who can say." he said casually.  
  
But you pressed on. "The southern coastline is the only place where you can find these remnants of the old sea god."  
  
He impatiently snapped. "And you're point is?"  
  
"You were on a mission down in that area last week. I'm surprised you didn't nip this problem in the bud earlier but then again you probably did that on purpose." You said darkly. And this changed the entire mood in an instant. A dark cloud hung over the both of you as the hair on your arms rose and clenched your decorated fists at your side, ready to raise them if you had to to either fight or defend.  
  
He kept his back to you and Rapier hanging loosely at his side as he answered. "Now why would you say something like _that_?'  
  
"Because I think you had something to do with it." You said bluntly.  
  
He turned suddenly and his face was filled with raw emotion, hurt, rage, pain all rolled together. "Why did you have to come? I wanted to do this mission alone! What is it you hope to learn from me?!"  
  
You chose your next words carefully. "I want to know what the hell it is that changed you!"  
  
He paused for a moment before answering and he was strangely honest for once but the pain in his voice was only too real. "The wound on my shoulder isn't healing. I've tried everything, the doctors have told me nothing.....well...all accept one. I thought I was the son of a Banora Landlord, a lucky if not spoiled boy born into a good family and blessed with enough talent to become a soldier....but the truth is.... Everything I am is a result of someone else's genius.It was never under my own power or by my own talents!"  
  
You watched him closely as he rubbed his shoulder and growled at himself. "We're all someone else's creations! We aren't even human! Not me , not any of us!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" You raised your voice and your hands to cover your chest in case he lashed out.  
  
He pointed into the distance and jutted his jaw towards something. "Come see."  
  
Keeping a good distance between you, you obeyed and when you came across another small clearing in the trees you saw stacks of Shinra labelled boxes and equipment laying about as if someone were coming any moment to pick it up. Among the things gathered was also Wutain raw materials including the Leviathan Scales and the Adamantite. You wish you could have unseen it as it all meant what you thought was impossible, the last thing you would ever accuse Genesis of doing. He was stealing weaponry and the pudgy bearded man seated on one of the crates with a can of Banora Juice in his hands looked at you quizzically.  
  
"You couldn't shake the girl off eh?" The man wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his dingy white lab coat.  
  
"Oh my god...." You said to yourself as you recognized the man as Doctor Hollander. You had never met him in person but had seen his file and remembered his bearded face around the office. "This is....a mutiny...."  
  
"I'm defecting from Soldier and Im bringing these with me." He said in stern resolution and with that, out of the woods dozens of soldiers suddenly appeared with machine guns in hand. You were totally surrounded and you gasped, having not heard or sensed any of them, which was nary impossible with your type of skills. Suddenly you knew where all the adamantite and dragon scales had gone as they were plainly covered in armor that was not Shinra issued and yet they were indeed company soldiers. A utter mutiny about to take place right in front of you and you walked right into the midst of it like a fool.  
  
"You are also coming." Genesis said confidantly.  
  
You couldn't hold back the surprise and shock in your face as you approached him and grabbed his lapels, giving him a good shake. "Have you lost your mind?! Why are you doing this?!"  
  
"The degradation with stop and you will help me! I need the power of the Goddess!" He said as he grabbed your wrist in one hand.  
  
"If you're not human then what the hell are you?!" You growled between clenched teeth as he twisted your arm.  
  
Hollander gladly answered. "Genesis is a by product of an age old experiment with unexpected results. A combination of DNA therapy given to him during his conception which would have created the worlds perfect soldier. The therapy went wrong and now he cant heal his own body but oddly enough he can replicate his own cells onto others." and with that all the soldiers revealed their shadowed faces and each was a exact copy of Genesis face. "Frankly Shinra thought he was a failure and handed him over to his current family so they could keep and eye on him but he does have other talents even if Project G was docked. We have Hojo to thank for that...."  
  
Your mind was going in circles as you stared at them all and some part of your psyche was trying to keep you operating on a sane level as you had only split seconds to take everything in. Already you felt shock passing through you like a tidal wave force and it threatened to leave you dumbfounded and helpless which was something that should never happen to a trained soldier.  
  
Genesis pulled your wrist roughly so you were once again looking at him. His eyes pleaded with you as he placed your hand over his heart. "Y/n, please forgive me and all of this...but I have no other choice. I cant remain in Shinra like this, I cant keep on being a soldier when my body is falling apart and i've lost all my pride! Dont make this harder than it already is!"  
  
"What will you do?!" You asked in a shakey voice.  
  
"Hollander and I have a plan, to rebel against Shinra and all of its lies!"  
  
"Then you will fight against Sephiroth and Angeal? What about them?!" You argued.  
  
"You needn't worry about Angeal, he is my son after all and he will join us in time. As for Sephiroth.....that all depends on how latent the Jenova cells are inside of him. Only time can tell, either way whatever fame his being has garnered for himself...he deserves none of it." Hollander said as he crossed his arms over his flabby chest. Now that was news you didn't expect. Angeal had never talked about his parents at all but you had thought he maybe came from rather humble upbringings. That this crazy loon was father to someone you adored so much was a universal joke and travesty!  
  
"What?!" You said as your whole body began to shake with fear.  
  
"All of the first class Soldiers are by products of Project G and Project S perspectively, as I`ve said, they're perfect monsters." Hollander stood up, cracked his aging back and smirked. "Which begs the question, what are you little lady? I've collected your files and looked up your background in Cosmo Canyon. What you failed to mention was where you were before that but then again Professor Gast was a wiz at hiding those small details."  
  
You felt your heart in your throat as you sneered at the ex scientist. That information was hidden for a reason and there was no way he would ever find that out unless he got hands on something outside of Shinra. Gast, had been your friend and sponsor in a earlier time in your life as well as a Rogue scientist trying to escape the clutches of Shinra and paid for it with his life. He was a good man to have ever helped the likes of you. You vowed to take his name with you to the grave if needed to protect his family and reputation.  
  
"Now lets see..."Hollander went on. "According to HIS personal diary which was taken from him by Hojo upon his death, you were found outside of Banora proper, wandering around like a mindless zombie... but the do gooder took pity on you and brought you with him to icicle lodge where he rehabilitated you and then sent you off to the Canyon to his colleague...uh Bugenhagen wasnt it? It seems a lot of interesting things pop up in Banora these days like you and that statue...my son and Genesis among other things."  
  
You began shaking your head back and forth and you yanked your hand free as you cupped Genesis face in your palms. "You cant do this! You are a Soldier and you are my friend, why would you betray us all like this?! How could you fall for lies like this?!This man is just going to use you! How could you not see you are just a tool for revenge against Shinra? He HAS NO CURE! My god Genesis how could you fall this far?!"  
  
Only then did his eyes tear up and he grabbed your wrists gently. "Its the fate of our stars Sleeping Goddess. I can't go back to Shinra or Soldier ever again. The same way you can never go back to your people or the Canyon. There is only one way....Join us or perish."  
  
Anger erupted in you as you pushed away from him and took a step back. "You put yourself against Shinra and Me! I knew you were falling into darkness Genesis, I saw it and I ignored it but I will not suffer a traitor to live! How dare you do this to us!"  
  
"Dont fight this Y/n. I dont want you for my enemy." Genesis threatened.  
  
"Because you know what I can do to you!" You said as your whole body began to glow with power.   
  
"Don't waste any more time Genesis! If she won't aid us then she dies!" Hollander shouted as he backed away. "We cant have her telling Shinra any of this!"  
  
Genesis hesitated by bit his lip as he bared his crimson rapier at you and the runes on the side began to glow. "My deepest regrets Lady Mage."  
  
"You wanted to love of a Goddess but now you're going to get the wrath of a Grand Mage!!!!" You shouted as you unleashed your spells.  
  
*********  
  
Leviathan scales are a peculiar thing. As a raw material they are almost invaluable as the scales can be ground into medicine, used to create stunning jewelry, junctioned to armor because of its diamond hard surface and unfortunately also crafted into shield shattering bullets that not even the greatest of spell casters could resist. In fact, it was well known that to break a casters shield, only one bullet was needed so long as it was crafted from the scales and while this was common knowledge to just about anyone in the military, getting enough scales made it inconvenient and economically infeasible to really employ on the battlefield. Unfortunately for you, Hollander has enough time and underworld connections to get what he needed to arm his small militia and to deal with you. It then occured to you that more than likely the spider bots that raided Rufus's gala were sent by him and the fact that they didnt have the right bullets at the time meant that he harvest the information somehow from that battle and was now more than ready to employ it.  
  
Your breath came out ragged as you slowly dragged yourself along the grass of the clear field beyond the forest and pain like nothing you had ever known pierced every inch of your body. You could still walk, barely, but the open bullet wounds that festered your calve, upper thigh and right shoulder made it nary impossible to do much of anything else. Blood already stained almost every inch of your beautiful costume, shadowing out the vibrant gold and silver with splotches of mess, a far cry from your usual pristine self.  
  
Somewhere in the fight, between bullets hailing at you, swords slashing and spells flying through the air you had been hit and once one bullet hit and knocked you off balance, several others hit their mark. Now all you could do was hope to escape and your primordial self took over, willing your body to move when it seemed to have no power left. The Laviathan Scales had done their damage.  
  
You looked up into the sky, at a the bright harvest moon and the spiral arm of the galaxy faintly glowing up a head and felt something in your heart. It was only a moment of regret, or remorse at your own stupidity and having thought you could control this situation without informing anyone of what was going on to begin with. You didn't even have your PHS on you and no one was coming to your rescue.  
  
It was a lonely feeling and you stopped somewhere in that clearing and simply stood there as you tried to catch your breath and hold your wounded shoulder but fresh blood oozed between your fingers. Then something possessed you to stand up straight, to take your last moments like the warrior you had trained yourself to be, with dignity and grace as you turned your pale face to the moonlit sky. Such a beautiful night for such a sad ending. You could have beaten the tar out of the lot of them but even in your anger you didn't have it in you to take Genesis's life. He was the friend of the man cared for and somehow that sentimentality caused you to waver at the last minute, giving him the upper hand and consigning you to a unknown death. Sentimentality, the great killer of many great men and how you cursed yourself that you let that sentimentality get the better of you. You, who after so many years of training couldn't forsake your own human heart even if all the people around you seemed to have none.  
  
"The fate of our stars...." You said to yourself in soft voice and looked up at the night sky and then you finally noticed the anomaly in Scorpio, genesis patron constellation and became enraptured by it. Antares, the largest star in that system flickered and then seemed to fade out while Capricorn's Omega star burned bright and clear. " Oh god......." You whispered at your own stupidity for having ignored what should have been second nature to you. Then the sillhoutte of a familiar body in dark blue uniform with a great sword on his back and a look of desperation on his face appeared in the distance.   
  
"Angeal...?" For a moment you thought you were dreaming, that this was the insane hallucinations of a dying woman ready to fall into death's arms but when his mouth opened in a wordless scream, something sharp hit you from behind. You gasped, body going rigid from shock as you looked down at your stomach and saw a long runed sword petruding from your solar plexes. Your vision blurred, your heart beat in your own ear drums and you felt yourself slipping forward onto the ground and into darkness.  
  
*********  
  
When the girls body slumped forward and hit the earth with a soft thud Angeal screamed with his eyes wide open in horror. He had been moments too late, having decided to forgo his own exit from Wutai he hoped to catch up to Y/n and Genesis in time to stop what he knew was oncoming. Even though he kept his mouth shut and tolerated his old friends erratic behavior, he had known all to well what might have been going on behind the scenes and raced to the two of them to intervene. The one thing he never counted on though was Genesis felling down the one person he seemed to desire the most and now Angeal was overcoming the shock of watching him destroy everything he had ever come to know and love.  
  
Genesis face was shadowed and unreadable as he withdrew his sword from the Mage's body and looked up to his friend who had stopped in his tracks only a few feet away from them all.  
  
"What have you done Genesis?!" Angeal gasped as his body shook with adrenaline.  
  
Genesis face suddenly looked sad and he shook his head slowly as he turned around to walk away. "It was the only way. I am sorry old friend."  
  
"Wait!!!!" Angeal shouted as the crimson soldier walked away into the night leaving him to deal with the aftermath of his betrayal.  
  
Words could not convey the mental anguish and guilt inside of him for having been too late but his soldier self took over and he quickly assessed the half dead woman at his feet. Rolling her over onto his stomach and pressing a finger to her throat felt a weak pulse then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his PHS, dialed a number and waited for an answer.


	17. MIA

HQ was in a uproar about 30 minutes earlier and what would have normally been a mundane evening of paper work and reports suddenly became one step short of a meltdown. Lazard had a phone in each hand and tried desperately to juggle the sudden influx of calls as the Turks ran in and out reporting whatever news they received on their own PHS's to both the president, Lazard and any other departments that was effected by the desertion.   
  
"Can someone get me an update?!" He shouted over his own phone at the group of black suits that suddenly filled his office.   
  
"There is no definitive answer! It looks like 20-30 soldiers were involved and Fort Tamblin is damn near in flames and back on Wushang hands!" One of the black suits shouted back as he chattered into his own phone and ran out of the room.  
  
"Y/n?"  
  
"Her and Genesis were spotted leaving the facility at their alloted mission time....other than that there has been no contact but there is something else....Hollander has also not reported in at all the past 3 days."  
  
"How can this happen at a time like this?" Lazard rubbed his eyes as he followed after into the hall and saw Sephiroth hastily turn the corner with two turks behind him. He had already heard the news and was quick to the office even though it was the middle of the night.  
  
"Please tell me Angeal is with you!" Lazard said in a tone that was urgent and pleading.  
  
Sephiroth shook his head. "He said he had something to take care of before our flight left Fort Tamblin. I havent had any contact with him in the past 12 hours."  
  
"Oh god..."  
  
"None of those 3 would die so easily, just give it some time." Sephiroth insured.  
  
"I need a status report pronto!" Lazard shouted again into his phone.  
  
Tseng came running around the corner and up to the group of men. "Any word?"  
  
"None." Sephiroth said calmly and then his PHS vibrated in his pocket and he answered it. What came out of the ear piece was almost unintelligable and not because of the quality of sound but rather the panic from the person on the other end. "Its Angeal!" He announced loudly over the din and everyone suddenly went silent and looked at him.  
  
"What..? Wait, Angeal you have to slow down...."He instructed as he listening carefully to his phone.   
  
_"Y/n is nearly dead, Genesis defected... prepare to receive us!"_ Angeal shouted so loud that everyone in the room heard it through the speaker firmly pressed to Sephiroth's ear.  
  
"Defected.....?!" Sephiroth raised a brow before the room suddenly buzzed with electrical currents and everyone's hair stood on end. Wind ripped through the room tearing at everyone's hair and clothes as something akin to a black hole opened up above their heads. They all stepped back hastily as the hole widened and something fell like a sack of bricks straight onto the hallway floor.   
  
Angeal landed with a heavy thud on the flat of his back and the liveless body of Y/n was strewn out on top of him like a ragdoll.  
  
"The hell?!" Everyone gasped at the sight of so much blood on her lifeless body and immidately administered emergency aid as someone called the paramedics and others tried to gently lift her up off of him.  
  
"Be careful with her!" Angeal shouted as 3 Turks tried to keep her body straight and laid her down flat in the hallway. One of them at least knew some first aid and immediately checked her vitals.  
  
Sephiroth wrapped arms around Angeal's chest and hoisted him to his feet as they watched everything from a foot or two away. But he kept his arms firmly wrapped around the blue soldier in case he were to panic, loose himself and try to jump in and help where he would otherwise be a burden. Sephiroth glanced at his pale face from over his shoulder and had never seen a more forelorn look on such a steely solider. Angeal was shaken to his core and it plainly showed on his battle hardened face.  
  
"She's got no heart beat!" The turk shouted as he began CPR when behind him the medical crew from another floor flooded the hall and suddenly white coats were everywhere. A stretched suddenly appeared behind them as the young man kept pumping her chest and the others got her onto the gurney and applied a breathing mask to her face.  
  
Among the clamor the doctors and nurses were saying was:  
  
"She needs a transfusion fast!"  
  
"She's bleeding out! We need to close these wounds!"  
  
"Get her to the med lab!"  
  
"Her blood type is B+...Who here is B+?"  
  
"I am!"  
  
"Come with us!"  
  
"Someone get a defibulator ready!" and then they wheeled her down the hall to the nearest elevator and as suddenly as she appeared with Angeal, she was gone and the others left behind were in a state of silent shock.  
  
Lazard was shaking his head and rubbing his temples as he said, "Oh my god....." Over and over again and then walked down the hall back to his office with Tseng and company is close tow. All that was left was Sephiroth and Angeal still standing stunned and finally alone.  
  
When Sephiroth finally let Angeal go the burly man put a hand to the wall to steady himself and lowered his head as his breath came out ragged and tired. After a few moments of calm Sephiroth finally spoke up. "Angeal.....Defected? Who?" His tone was careful and calm.  
  
"Genesis and Hollander." Angeal choked and pressed his head to the cool metal wall.  
  
Even Sephiroth felt a small pang of anguish in his heart at the news but he didnt debate it. It was clear by Angeal's behavior that it was all true and frankly he had seen enough crazy stuff in his life to know better. In this world anything was possible and even friends could easily become enemies, it was all a matter of circumstances and opportunity.  
  
"And Y/n?" He pressed further.  
  
"She tried to stop them....." Angeal said through gritted teeth.  
  
Sephiroth looked down the hall at the trail of blood that remained from her body. "And she lost. How can that be....?" He asked because he knew she had the power to stop any one of them in their tracks, even someone like him.  
  
"She lost because of me!" Angeal growled. "I distracted her!" And with that he punched the wall so hard it cratered under his fist. "Dammit all!"  
  
Sephiroth went silent. There was nothing more to ask and nothing more to say. Sentimentality had gotten the better of both of them and she paid the price for it. Now they would have to deal with a friends betrayal and another friends possible death if she didn't pull through. It was an unpleasant possibility but then again all other taboos had been broken this night. Sephiroth grabbed his friend roughly by the shoulder and suddenly pushed him towards the elevator.  
  
"Go to her. See to it she stays alive. I'll deal with Lazard and Soldier." He said sternly and walked towards the directors office leaving his friend somewhat stunned at the gesture. Kindness wasn't one of Sephiroth's stronger points but he could show it discretely when he wanted to and right now he was being entirely generous considering that he too wanted answers more than anything for tonights events. Angeal didn't argue and hurried after the fallen mage.  
  
*******  
  
The darkness was cold and empty, no light, no din, no life and nothing. While your broken body was laying dead on the operating table your mind was in the deepest recesses of your sub conciousness and what awaited you there was voices, a multitude of unknown yet strangely familiar voices speaking memories like story tellers. Only there were no faces to match the voices and you could barely make sense of the story they were telling.  
  
 _"Look its a Meteor!!!!"  
  
"Oh my god....get down!!!!"_  
  
And thunderous crashing echoed in your mind.  
  
 _"They say its our savior."  
  
"Not a savior just a monster."  
  
"Destroy it!"  
  
"Ughhhhhh my head....I cant control it...."  
  
"Shoot him!"  
  
"Why did we trust it?"_  
 _  
"Destroy any and all who have made contact with it! Destroy Jenova!"  
_  
Pain came then. Pain so blistering hot and soul tearing you could only voicelessly scream as it shot through you.  
  
  
*********  
  
"Hit her again!" The doctor ordered as the nurse rubbed the metal chargers of the defibulator together and waited for the green light to go. When the machine's bars were charged the max the doctor nodded and the nurse pressed the metal plates to the girls body and released it. Her body jolted up off the table one last time before the heart monitor to the side of the room began to pulse at a steady pace and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The nurses and doctor paused, stopped in their tracks and watched the monitor for a few minutes to make sure nothing further happened and when it didn't the doctor removed his gloves and wiped sweat from his brow before saying. "Give the soldier outside the good news and call Director Lazard, someone close her up."  
  
*********  
  
(A few hours later)  
  
Angeal had been seated outside in the small waiting area with his head in his hands as if he were either praying or incredibly anguished, both of which were true and luckily for him he was alone at this odd hour in that place. He really didnt want to talk or see anyone else right now and would have snapped at the first thing to try to console him. As the night would have it, Sephiroth was the one to break his silence and could easily handle any outburst from the man.  
  
He approached his friend and said, "Its been 3 hours and Ive held authorities off for as a long as I could. They are threatening court marshal if you dont come up and report to them."  
  
Only then did Angeal lift his head and look at his friend but his eyes were heavy and tired and it showed. Then the operating room door opened and a doctor walked out to them bringing Angeal to his feet in an instant.  
  
The doctor pulled down his mask as he said. "She's alive." and the two men both breathed a audible sigh of relief. "But thats where the good news ends. She has a shattered collar bone from the bullet wound, two broken ribs, a punctured artery, two gunshot wounds to the right leg and she went into cardiac arrest because of the blood loss. Not to mention she was impaled through the mid section but luckily all her major organs are undamaged."  
  
"So she will recover?" Sephiroth asked.  
  
"She's in a shallow coma." The doctor said bluntly. "But yes she will recover."  
  
"Wait...you said her organs are okay? Even though she was ran through with a sword?" Angeal asked in a confused voice.  
  
"I had no idea she was impaled with a sword....."The doctor admitted. "All I saw was that she had a 4 inch wide entry and exit wound that went straight through her torso. If it was a sword then she is lucky it didnt take out her bowels with it."  
  
Angeal bit his lip and held back any further inquiries or observations as Sephiroth reminded him why he had come. "We can visit her later but for now we need to smooth things over with the president before he decides to can us both. Are you coming? And by the way they sent me to make sure you dont resist if you were thinking about that."  
  
"Of course...."Angeal said in a somewhat defeated tone and followed his comrade out of the med lab.  
  
**********  
  
(two weeks later)  
  
Your body felt stiff and uncomfortable as if you had been sleeping in the wrong position for far too long and when you tried to shift yourself in your sleep something stopped you. Something was attached to your face and it tugged you in the wrong direction as well as things bound to your hands and wrists. Slowly your senses came back to you and the irritating sound of a heart monitor woke you from the remainder of your stupor. The lights in the room were dim, thank goodness, but something else blue and bright was staring right down at you and it took a you a good minute or two to remember who's face it was just inches from yours.  
  
"Za....?" You tried to ask but your voice sounded unaturally strained and somehow your throat muscles couldnt work correctly to form a correct sound so it sounded more like a croak. You tried again but the same thing happened.  
  
Zack Faire, of all people, was at your bedside and staring down at you with his bright blue eyes and a big old smile on his lips as he announced. "You're awake! Oh thank god! Angeal is gonna be so happy to hear this!"  
  
You frowned and looked about the room and realized you were in a medical facility in your own recovery station and a oxygen mask over your own mouth. You reached up t tug it off but your hands couldnt reach that far with all the monitors and tubes coming out of you so Zack did it for you.  
  
"How are you feeling?" He beamed.  
  
"Can....t.....ta....lk...."You tried to say with better luck than you did his name.  
  
"Oh...uh here." He reached over and picked up a note pad and pen on your bedside table and handed it to you. In the crappiest handwriting you were ever guilty of producing you wrote out the words: _Where is Angeal?  
  
"_Shinra's been in total chaos since the Fort Tamblin incident so Angeal and Sephiroth have been locked in meetings one after another. I think they are both in a meeting with the president right now. He asked me to stand in for him when he couldn't be around to watch over you but almost everyday he's been here by your bed side."  
  
You reflected on that revelation for a moment before scribbling another note. " _Fort Tamblin_?"  
  
Zack thought about it a second and then the light when off in his head. "Oh that's right you didn't know because of....this....but the Wushang took back the Fort after you and Genesis dissappeared."  
  
You made a funny face and wrote. " _Where's Genesis_?"  
  
He shook his head. "No one knows."  
  
You sighed and held back a angry growl. " _TAKE ME TO LAZARD."_ You wrote in big block letters emphasising the urgencyZack shook his head and protested.  
  
"No way! You're still recovering and besides you have all these tubes coming out of you!" He said.  
  
You sighed again in frustration and then wrote out some final instructions. " _Tell Lazard to look at my headset."  
_  
"Your headset...the mask?"  
  
You nodded.  
  
"Gotchya." He smirked and quickly stood up and saluted you like a good soldier. "Be back soon!" and then he ran out of the room as you tapped the button to call the doctor.  
  
*********  
  
Lazard and the two first class soldiers just walked out of a heated meeting with the president and as they ascended the large staircase to the 59th floor Zack was just coming off the lift and ran to them.  
  
"Director Lazard! Y/n says to look at her headset!" He announced clearly as everyone stopped in their tracks.  
  
"How?" Lazard gave him a questioning look.  
  
"She's awake." Zack smiled as everyone gasped.  
  
"Then we must go see her." Angeal said stepping forward but Lazard held his hand out to stop him.  
  
"Wait, lets give her some time to acclimate...her headset you say?" He put a hand to his chin and thought then his face brightened up. "Oh that cunning minx!" He said cheerfully and quickly walked down the staircase, ushering everyone to follow him.  
  
"Why on earth are you so happy?" Angeal asked.  
  
Lazard raised a pointed finger to the sky. "Her mask has a special feature....a black box if you will that collects data from everything she has fought or encountered. It also has the ability to record short video and audio but its not specifically meant for that purpose."  
  
"Then she..."  
  
"She probably activated it during her incident in Fort Tamblin!" He announced as they all filed into the lift and descended to his office. To the side of that floor was a special room that acted as a locker facility for the soldiers going out on duty and often their cubicles were stocked with special items. In this case, Medical had interred her uniform once it was stripped from her and there it remained untouched as she lay in the hospital. Lazard quickly opened it and pulled out her bird like mask from its hangar then turned the corner for his own office.  
  
Once inside he produced a USB cord from his desk and junctioned it from his computer to the side of the mask, clicked a few things on the computer as everyone gathered around behind him and let it play.  
  
The video was grainy since it was taken at night but the audio was crystal clear and right in the middle of conversation.  
  
" _All of the first class Soldiers are by products of Project G and Project S perspectively, as I`ve said, they're perfect monsters_."  
  
At the sound of that voice Angeal stiffened and he felt his blood drain from his face. He hadn't heard that voice in a long time and wished to keep it that way as it had been that of his own father, someone he was indifferent to at best and loathed at worst. How he had come to be a part of this was not surprising but an unwelcome revelation none the less.  
  
" _Which begs the question, what are you little lady? I've collected your files and looked up your background in Cosmo Canyon. What you failed to mention was where you were before that but then again Professor Gast was a wiz at hiding those small details_."  
  
Sephiroth said the name of Professor Gast under his breath as it was someone he had known in his childhood and respected. His relationship with the professor was like that of a mentor and underling but he had been the closest thing to father figure he had known before he left the company for good. Sephiroth always wondered why he had left and under what circumstances because it was sudden and unexpected leaving him in the hands of Hojo, a scientist he had little regard for but was forced to work with anyway. The difference between the two scientists was night at day with Gast by far being the superior man. He hadn't heard that name in years and now it was connected with you his curiosity peeked. What were you to a man like that? How did you meet and what, if any, wisdom did he impart to you?  
  
" _Now lets see....According to HIS personal diary which was taken from him by Hojo upon his death, you were found outside of Banora proper, wandering around like a mindless zombie... but the do gooder took pity on you and brought you with him to icicle lodge where he rehabilitated you and then sent you off to the Canyon to his colleague...uh Bugenhagen wasnt it? It seems a lot of interesting things pop up in Banora these days like you and that statue...my son and Genesis among other things_."  
  
Angeal bit his lip so hard he tasted blood as anger boiled through him and he was not the type to get angry often.  
  
" _You cant do this! You are a Soldier and you are my friend, why would you betray us all like this?! How could you do this to me?! To him?! Angeal is waiting for you and so is Sephiroth! How could you fall for lies like this?!This man is just going to use you! How could you not see you are just a tool for revenge against Shinra? My god Genesis how could you fall this far?_!" A familiar feminine voice argued.  
  
" _Its the fate of our stars Sleeping Goddess. I can't go back to Shinra or Soldier ever again. The same way you can never go back to your people or the Canyon. There is only one way....Join us or perish_." Genesis stated emphatically.  
  
" _You put yourself against Shinra and Me! I knew you were falling into darkness Genesis, I saw it and I ignored it but I will not suffer a traitor to live! How dare you do this to us_!" She cursed in anger.  
  
" _Don't waste any more time Genesis! If she won't aid us then she dies_!" Hollander said sternly and then the video crackled and went out leaving everyone in the room stunned and in utter silence.  
  
Lazard sank into the seat of his chair and folded his hands in front of his face in contemplation. Only after a long while of reflection he said, "So it's all true then. It was Genesis, as you said Angeal."  
  
"And Hollander" Sephiroth added.  
  
"Hollander gets his revenge then for having been slighted by Shinra years ago and Genesis is his tool." Lazard concluded. "Y/n was in the way so they wiped her from the board so to speak. Sorry but I have to submit this to the president. We can all thank our lucky stars that she survived though."  
  
"No, Genesis left her alive on purpose." Angeal said quietly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Lazard scrutinized and turned to him his swivel chair.  
  
"He's an expert soldier and swordsman, if he wanted her dead he would have aimed for her heart or other vital organs but he didnt. Either that was sloppy on his part or intentional. Knowing him, its the later." Angeal explained crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"Then are you suggesting that he may or may not be being manipulated by Hollander?"  
  
"Hollander knows the Soldier Program inside out so he would know what buttons to push with Genesis, what empty promises to feed him."  
  
"Be that as it may, Genesis is responsible for the mess in Fort Tamblin and the death of fellow comrades. The president wont pardon that sort of treachery."  
  
"I wont pardon it either." Angeal said sternly. "But I grew up with him and I know what he's like and more than likely he doesn't exactly know what he's doing. If anything this can be used to our benefit because Hollander probably things Y/n is truly dead."  
  
Lazard adjusted his glasses. "That's one way of looking at it. For now though, it seems your reputation is cleared Angeal so you're off the hook."  
  
Deep down, that was no matter to Angeal and what ate at him now was the knowledge that his estranged father was back in the picture. He worried deeply about his mother in Banora and what events this might cause in the future for himself, his friends and family. For the time being though, he had to keep all that inside and put on a straight face as he turned to leave and return to the med lab to another face he desperately wanted to see alive and well again.  
  
Suddenly, Lazards phone rang and he promptly answered it. "Hello? Yes...........Come again?.................What?!" He shouted as everyone turned back around to stare at him. His lower eye lid twitched in annoyance as the conversation continued. "What do you mean she walked out of the building?!"


	18. Letters Home

"You needn't worry." Tseng explained. "She is under our survellience and care and most certainly did not abondon her post. She made a persona request to be moved to somewhere a little more conducive to recovery so the company obliged her and sent her to Healin Lodge near Kalm." Only minutes before, Lazard had made a desperate call out to anyone and everyone who might have seen you before your untimely exit from the medical lab and Tseng, as usual, had all the answers.  
  
"Why was I not informed of this earlier?" Lazard cursed and put a hand to his hip.  
  
"It was a last minute request." Tseng gave a casual shrug. "She also left further instructions: Do not disturb."  
  
Angeal shook his head and sighed. "In other words she isnt in the mood to see anyone."  
  
"Shinra personnel are probably the last things she wants to be around all things considered. But this is not permanent. She will be back in a few weeks once she feels rested." Tseng went on. "Its a smart move on her part as she wont be a target or a burden on anyone here."  
  
"Until then we all need to scrape by...." Angeal said a but under his breath.  
  
"The data she provided us is being analyzed now but its still going to be a while before the president decides the next move so I highly recommend using this time to rest as well. " Lazard pointed out. "Do give us updates on Y/n recovery is possible."  
  
"Of course. " Tseng gave a small bow and left the office and Angeal followed after him. Zack was waiting out in the lobby for him and happily joined his side as they walked down the hall. it was training day and Angeal would be sure to put him through the ringer as was normal every Wednesday for the both of them.   
  
"Is she going to be okay?" Zack asked his stern comrade.  
  
"I hope so." Angeal answered simply.  
  
"When she gets back you should really tell her how you feel." The blue eyed puppy dog said without hesitation.  
  
Angeal made a small noise in his throat. "Whatever are you talking about?"  
  
His underling imitated his mentors voice. "Never forget your soldier honor. C'mon Angeal, its not like you wear your heart on your sleeve but anyone can tell there's something there. Why not ask her out?"  
  
"I'm pretty sure, at this point, a Soldier is the last person she would want to date."  
  
"Do you think she is mad at you about....you know." Zack asked carefully.  
  
Angeal sighed. "Honestly, probably not. She's too fair about those things but the fact is I really let her down even if she doesn't see it that way."  
  
"You can't blame yourself for that." Zack pointed out. "If anything, shouldn't it give you more resolve to protect her? I know I wouldn't let her out of my sight if I were in your shoes."  
  
"Since when were you the expert on women Zack?" Angeal said with a side glance and upturned eyebrow.  
  
His student tucked his hands behind his head and smiled. "Not that I have much luck with the ladies but, as a man, I would want to protect the ones I love. There is nothing more honorable than really loving someone don't you think?"  
  
Angeal had to give a small smile to that. "You're right but love feels a bit wasted on guys like us.....She really deserves someone better, not a mon...." He caught himself before he finished that sentence and bit his lip.  
  
*********  
  


Grandfather,  
It may come as a surprise to receive a letter from me out of the blue, when so many years have  
passed without any word from me. There is much I need to tell you that a letter can only partially convey  
but the truth is: When I left the Canyon I did so thinking that my not being there would smooth things  
over with the tribe and with Shinra. I dont know who it was who informed Shinra of my wear abouts but  
I did not want them snooping in the valley too long. I also did not want them investigating my brother and  
his mate Dinah so I did what I thought was necessary to keep the peace. I now work for Shinra and have the  
past 8 years. What I do for them I cant say in this letter and I regret that I must tell you that I am working  
for the same company responsible for so much pain and suffering in this world. Please forgive your wayward  
daughter for her foolishness. Now I find myself in a dire situation and need your guidance but cant return  
home properly to receive it from you. Now I must ask you, as I have little memories of my early life, what  
happened to Professor Gast and what information did he leave regarding myself and a creature known as  
Jenova? Something has happened to me recently involving some people who were involved in Project G and S.  
I fear for my life and my safety as well as the safety of my friends and family. Any information you can give would  
be appreciated, if not then burn this letter and make sure no one sees it for your own sake and the safety  
of the Canyon.

Love, Y/N

You heard footsteps behind you and quickly folded the parchment letter and slipped it into the pocket of your cotton robe as Rufus walked onto the sunlit balcony you were situated on. He took a seat across from you at the small glass table you sat by and helped himself to the ornate tea set at you had been enjoying. You regarded him silently with a small smile, after all, he had been the one to push the final decision to have you vacated from Midgar and used his own influences to get you a nice room at the Healin Lodge, one of the premier clinics and spas in the country. 

The are around Healin was lush grassland and valleys, laced with rivers and lakes and often wild Chocobo could be seen running across the plains. The weather was always sunny and mild and perfect for those with ailments that were effected by extreme weather conditions such as skin disorders and body aches. You were grateful to be out of the Mako stench of Midgar and breathing fresh air in a quiet place.

"How are you feeling today Ms. Y/n?" The young president elect asked.

"Better than before, thanks to you. It seems I owe you a big favor for all of this." You sipped your tea quietly.

"Think nothing of it. This is repayment for your protection during my Gala. I may be rich and spoiled but I'm no pauper when it comes to manners." He smirked.

"I'm grateful."

"When you are well again, what do you plan to do in regards to the defector?"

You shook your head. "I don't plan to go after him if that's what you're asking."

"I know you're not that reckless." Rufus said apologetically. "But if I say so honestly, this recent turn of events doesnt bode well for you. My father is already suspicious of you to begin with and Genesis was with you the day of his defection."

"Do you think I had a hand in it?"

"But others on the company board do. I would suggest you leave Soldier as soon as possible to avoid further interference."

"And go to where?"

"I would have you moved to my section as my personal guard, along with the Turks." He said casually while pouring another cup of tea. "And relocated back to Junon."

"Something tells me you had this all planned out." You said without any fear of reprisal.

"It may be arrogant of me to say this, but I always get what I want one way or the other." He flashed a sly smile.

"If I say yes, then my time with the Soldiers will be short lived....." You began sadly, thinking of the possibility of saying goodbye to Sephiroth, Angeal and Zack.

"Emotional ties to either of those men wont serve you in the future. It may be cruel to say it but its the fate of all soldiers to fall one day. Please take your time to heal, but also think about what benefits you most because in the end the only thing that will keep you alive if your own cunning. Believe me Ms. Y/n, crush your enemies when you can and show no mercy."

You said nothing as you watched him leave and when the balcony was clear you waved a hand in the air as a small white bird materialized and landed on the table. You pulled out the hidden letter and let the small creature take it in its beak before it took the air and soon disappeared in the Horizon. Rufus was right, you were far too merciful on your enemies and meeting the 3 other soldiers certainly didnt make it any easier. You had a prime opportunity to stop Genesis and now had to deal with the repercussions of your own feelings. Something knawed at your soul about what he said and now you were forced to reach out to the people you ran away from. Hopefully, time and feelings hadnt soured your relationship with your grandfather completely and you waited eagerly for his reply.

**********

(A few days later)

The sun rose through your bedroom window and a soft breeze ruffled the white lace curtains as a small enveloped letter fell gently by your pillow side. The messenger who brought it dissappeared into whisps of green light as you stirred from sleep and sat up. Shaking the vestiges of sleep off you eagerly opened the letter and silently read its contents to yourself.  


  


Dear Daughter,

It was by great surprise that your messenger dropped this letter off my during my dinner so naturally I read it right away. As you said, its been a very long time since I last laid eyes on you but that does not mean I havent been watching you. Ho Hooo! As they saying goes: the hills have eyes and I have had my own creatures, avatars and outlets keeping me updated on your wear a bouts. Needless to say, I knew you were going to the Shinra the moment you left the valley and not because you are a traitor, as some people may suggest, but because I know you are a very noble women who cares deeply about us and also can't be idle when so much is at stake. I know where your loyalties lie and though your brother may not understand that now, he will in time. By the way he and Dinah are doing well and are preparing for the the tradition to appease the planet. We all wish you could be with us during this momentous holiday. Now onto the heart of the matter. The questions you are asking me I knew would come eventually and honestly I'm surprised you didn't think the ask them sooner! Professor Gast, god rest his soul, was one of 4 main scientist working for  
Shinra about 20-30 years ago. I dont know the exact details of the Jenova project but Gast had found "something" up in the northern regions of the earth he thought might be one of the Cetra race. If you remember the legends I told you about years ago then you know who they are and why they are important. However my personal feeling is that they found something else not so benevolant as they might have thought. I was with them for the excavation, as a scholar from the Canyon, of the specimen but was restricted from seeing it once it was un buried so I cant tell you what it looked  
like or any other details other than the feeling I had at the time.I had a horrible foreboding about the whole thing, as if the planet itself was crying out against it. I didnt understand what it meant at the time, but years after Gast has a sort of awakening about this thing he had unearthed and tried to destroy it only to put himself up against Shinra. Last time I heard from him was shortly after he brought you to me and he was a fugitive on the run from the company. If the people you are dealing with now are products of project G and S, more than likely they have Jenova cells in them and  
unfortunately, the stars do not shine favorably on them. I have been watching and listening to the planets cries, and the all show and say the same thing: Jenova must be destroyed and so must all the creatures who share its power. The earth itself might rise up one day to consume them in a effort to protect itself....or worse.... I implore you to stay as far away from these people as possible as nothing good can come from being with them. Jenova brings only pain and misery. As for your background, Professor Gast conferred to me that he found you in Banora. You were unresponsive and confused, with no memories and just like a newborn baby to this world. Where you came from nobody could guess but it was obvious you were very different and possibly had been the survivor of something very tragic. I cant tell you any more than that because he didnt say anything more. Anyone who might  
have answers has already passed on from this world. Gast, Ifalna, Dr. Valentine and Dr. Crescent....all dead because of Shinra. Gasts personal thoughts were that Grimoire Valentine might have been onto something with his theory of Chaos and Omega to but he passed away years before you came into the world and all of his works were destroyed. The only one left who might have some answers is Hojo who was the late husband of Dr. Crecent.  
If he is still alive he might be able to tell you something but honestly I have my reservations about that man and would advise against it. There is something you should ponder and discover on your own: When you came to me you were already and adult about the age of 25-30 according to Gasts examinations.... By today's reckoning you should be about 48 years old? Please be careful and do not hesitate to come home. Whatever the tribes feelings are, we can work around them. The safety of our Grand Mage trumps all. Be well and may the planet protect you.

BugenHagen

Well, he had aptly pointed out the elephant in the room. You physically hadnt aged since the day you entered the Canyon to the day you left and while you were young enough to get away with it now, to chalk it up to good genetics in another 10 years everyone would begin to see something was off. You didnt have a single wrinkle on your skin nor white hair on your head to show your true age. It wasn't something that you dwelt on often since you bled like a normal person and could get sick and die like a normal one too but somehow the hands of time had stopped in your favor and you were ageless. That was a skill that no Mage, no matter how skilled or powerful could ever accomplish and you had to accept that as a unwritten rule of your existence. 

You folded up the letter and tucked it in your packet as you sighed and wiped a small tear from your eye that fell as you read your grandfather's letter. It left you with more questions than answers but at least it pointed you in some direction instead of none and you were happy that your family accepted your confession. The only lead you had was to go to Banora but that was foolish knowing that Genesis family was there and most likely he would come to see them at some point. Shinra would be all over that place by now and you didn't want to be questioned about anything. Frustrating.

You ruffled your hair and stood up then paced the room. You were stuck here until your medical clearance was given and you had to access to company files either while in this place. Effectively you were caged in with no resources at your disposal which left only one option. You had to be patient and focus on healing so you could get your clearance without causing any problems or suspicions, then try to see who the 4 scientists were through the system in your office back in Midgar.


	19. Costa Del Sol

_Months before the end of the Wutain War:_  
  
Another day came for you in Healin and finally after weeks of waiting and therapy for your injuries, you were given clearance to return to Midgar and effectively return to duty. You passed the days at that quaint place in peace and quiet, having ample time to rest and socialize with the staff as well as any Shinra personnel that came you way which more often than not was the Turks.   
  
With your clearance letter in hand you prepared to return but were stopped just short of catching your chopper out of there by a familiar face and suit. Tseng had news for you.  
  
"There has been a small change in plan, you are going to Costa Del Sol for a week." He smiled and handed you your new orders.  
  
You blinked twice at the paper and then gave him a puzzled look. "Why on earth would I go there?"  
  
He chuckled. "Lazard thought you could use some sunshine and ocean air so before you go back to Midgar he wants you to refresh yourself over there."  
  
You protested. "I've been refreshing here for over a month!"  
  
"You don't like the beach?" He raised a brow curiously.  
  
"No, I love the beach. I just dont want anyone to see my pale white butt in a swimsuit." You said sarcastically.  
  
Tseng cleared his throat. "Luckily for you, you are going to a private villa. Enjoy and try not to get into too much trouble out there on your own."  
  
"I'm going alone?"  
  
"I could send you with Reno and Rude...."he began slowly but you quickly interrupted.  
  
"I don't mind going alone." you said as you rolled your eyes. The last thing you needed was to get stuck on a beach with tweedle dee and tweedle dum.  
  
***********  
  
"Awwwww man!" Zack exclaimed with delight as he and Angeal stepped off onto the pier and into the sun drenched blue sky of Costa. "Look at this place! Look at this sun...look at the girls!"   
  
"Is this your first time here?" Angeal raised a brow at his underlings unusally enthusiastic response to the trio of half naked ladies who walked by giggling and whispering to each other as they looked at the two tall dark and handsome soldiers. Even though they had ditched their uniform for a entirely tourist look they still had enough muscle to prove otherwise and were quiet the eye catching pair together.  
  
"Yup. Its too far from Gongaga to drive and my family never had time or money to come to places like this." Zack shrugged with a big smile.  
  
"Now's not the time to goof around, we have work to do." Angeal reminded him.  
  
"Right." Zack snapped back to attention. "We have to investigate why some of our comrades have been disappearing in this area."  
  
"Exactly, so be on guard and lets see what we can find out around town." He explained as they both began to walk down the boulevard towards town.  
  
The truth about that was a bit more complicated. Actually, over the course of a few years some soldiers, a mix of 3rd 2nd and 1st class had visited these areas only to turn up MIA. While one or two could be chalked off to hardy nightlife and drunken bar fights having about 10 go missing in the last month was enough to raise some red flags and the company decided it was time to investigate. There was always the suspicion that these disappearance were connected to Genesis and Hollanders dessertion though Angeal personally felt that wasnt the case. It was enough to warrant them coming out to check it out just in case.  
  
As they turned the corner onto the busy cobblestone path lined with vendors and tourists walking to and fro they began checking out the stall and listening to the local conversations going on, trying their best to blend in and act like the typical visitors here for shopping. Maybe they had scooped out about an hour, asking some of the more Shinra friendly vendors if they had heard any rumors before Zack spotted someone familiar walking down another aisle of stalls not too far from them and he smiled big as he interrupted his partner.  
  
"Hey Angeal....celestial babe alert!" he whispered from the side of his mouth as he kept his eyes on you. Angeal stopped his chat mid sentence with the old lady selling fruits and looked at Zack.  
  
"What are you talking about?" He asked with a confused look.  
  
"We werent the only ones sent here by Shinra." Zack said as he pointed to you in the distance. Something akin to panic crossed Angeal's face as he quickly grabbed his underling by the shirt and yanked him around another booth corner so they were amply out of sight as you walked by. You were also rather under dressed compared to your usual self wearing a simply white sleeveless shirt and matching gypsy skirt. By all means you looked like just another lovely lady on her vacation but that purple hair of yours stood out like a sore thumb even though you did your best to tie it up in a loose bun and cover it with a satin scarf. You smiled pleasantly as you walked along looking side to side at all the nice things around you and the two guys poked their head from around the stall corner watching you safely from a distance.  
  
"Why are we hiding?! You should go talk to her!" Zack whispered loudly in annoyance.  
  
"She's probably here as part of here R and R." Angeal whispered back.  
  
Zack frowned. "So?"  
  
"She specifically stated she didnt want to be disturbed!" Angeal snapped.  
  
"Yeah by all those other cads who bother her, not you!"  
  
"Including me!"  
  
"I seriously doubt that....Wow, she looks great all things considered. Not a scratch on her! Healing Lodge really is the place to be...." Zack protested and then he looked at this friends face for a moment and something seemed to light up in his mind, the lightbulb flicked on and he realized something profound. "Angeal......wow, you REALLY love her."  
  
Angeals eyes widened and he almost blushed...almost. "You don't know what your talking about!"  
  
"You're not afraid of any woman but you hide from this one and its not because she's scary...its the opposite, you really have feelings for her! At first I thought it was just a crush but this is deep! Oh my god...I never though I would ever live to see the day a woman slayed a beast like you!" Zack teased as he poked a finger into his friends cheek and Angeal slapped his hand away.  
  
"Its not that simple!" He protested. "After all that happened I have no right to talk to her or even look at her."  
  
"I bet she disagrees." Zack pointed out. "Okay so if you're not going to talk to her...then I am!" He smiled as he tried to walk towards her but Angeal kept a firm hand on his shirt collar like it were a dogs leash.  
  
"She's still healing for gods sake, let her relax and enjoy her time! Don't forget we're here to work!" Angeal said sternly.  
  
Zack rolled his eye and smiled. "Ok have it your way but by the end of this trip you'd better say something to her or I'm going to do it for you."  
  
When you were safely out of sight they two guys continued their stroll down the avenue when someone called out to them  
  
"Pssttt. Hey!" A middle aged lady with caramel skin and over abundance of necklaces and bracelets waved them over. "You two are soldiers right? From Shinra?'  
  
They both said nothing and eyed the lady suspiciously.  
  
"I know you are looking for the missing soldiers. I can tell you something." She said simply. "I saw where the last guy disappeared! I can take you there."  
  
Zack and Angeal side glanced each other but agreed to the ladies inquiry. "Show us."  
  
********  
  
After an all day excursion around town and some window shopping you made it back to your private villa on the north beach around 6pm and decided to start the evening with a hot bath on your patio. High latice wood panels protected your patio from any outside people but it was so quiet on that part of the beach anyway you could of gotten away with anything and spared no shame. A deep cubicle bathtub sat on one end of the patio and acted as a hotspring, jacuzzi and shower all in one. So you filled it up, added some bath salts and sat in it quietly looking at the setting sun in the distance and wondering what everyone was doing back in Midgar. Then there was Genesis. What ever became of him and did he get what Hollander had promised to him? On that note....what would Angeal and Sephiroth have to say to you in they saw the recording on your headset and most likely they did.   
  
You gave a fore lorn sigh and closed your eyes for a minute before something wet and slimy smacked right into your face. You jolted and grabbed whatever it was, guessing it was a chunk of seaweed that somehow flew up from the beach but when you opened your eyes you shrieked at the green lumpy thing you clutched in one hand. A big old bullfrog had somehow got onto the patio and had landed right on your head! You wasted to time throwing it out of the tub and grabbing the back scrubber to swat it good if it decided to jump back in.  
  
The frog landed roughly some feet away from you, shook its dazed head and turned to look at you as you stared at it in surprise and disgust. It was the biggest dang frog you had ever seen! Easily the size of a small dog with big googly eyes that were a unusual shade of blue-green and for one moment you and the frog regarded each other. Suddenly it started croaking and ribbiting in a excited way as it jumped up and down waving its webbed hands in the air. You stared at it with a strange look and wondered what this was all about. Of course it was not unusual to see frogs around these parts but this one was strangely talkative and it went on and on in frog jibberish like it was trying to string a unitelligable sentence together.  
  
"Go away!" You shouted as your threw a bar of soap at it. It easily jumped over it and hopped closer to you. You shrieked and stood up in the tub all naked and wet with a back scrubber raised high to wack it good if it came closer. "Hope any closer and I'll pop you one so help me god!"  
  
The frog froze and its eyes seemed to look your naked body up and down. If a frog could blush, and it surely seemed like it did, before it shaked whatever nasty thought it had from its head and again continued with its excited hoping and ribbiting.  
  
"Ribbit! Ribbit!!!! RIIIIIBIIIIITTTTTT!" It cried out and you scrunched a brow at it.  
  
"What do you want!?" You dared to ask.  
  
"RIBBIT!!!!"  
  
"Are you trying to talk?" You asked.  
  
"Ribbiiiitttttttt!"  
  
You thought for a moment and then had a funny thought. "You're in trouble and you need my help?"  
  
The frog jumped into the air as if to say, " _yes that's it_!"  
  
You looked around and grabbed the closest towel and wrapped it around yourself. "Okay....what do you need?"  
  
The frog waved its webbed hand and pointed towards the town.  
  
"Ewwwwwww....... " You said to yourself as you picked the frog up with both hands the way one might hold a cat or small dog and stared at its blue eyes and suddenly you knew who you had in your hands. There was only one man you knew with eyes that shade and color.  
  
"Angeal.....?" You asked with a horrified look.  
  
The frog gave a simple short "ribbit" meaning _yes_.  
  
You gasped and nearly dropped him again but caught him up. "What?! How?! Why are you even in Costa!?"  
  
The frog suddenly grabbed your face, putting a hand on either side of you cheeks and pulled you close as it gave a very commanding "ribbit" as if to say. " _No time for questions_!"  
  
You nodded and set him down on the patio table. "Wait here!" You ran inside and threw on some clothes then picked him up, put him on your shoulder and told him, "Lead the way!"  
  
He pointed his chubby green hand towards town. "Ribbit!!!!" and away you two went.  
  
********  
  
By the time you got to the town square it was already well past dark and most people had headed off to their hotels for the night leaving you running down a eerily empty cobblestone road. Angeal used his green hand to point down turns and corners until you came to a old shop that had long since been abandoned and the windows boarded up and left to rot. There was no way to go in through the front so you squeezed yourself down the alley at the side and walked around to the back where a metal door beckoned and you silently entered. There was nothing in particular in the main room, just old drywall and cracked floors but you could see a dim light coming from the stairwell that lead down to the cellar across the old shop floor and followed it.  
  
The cellar was small and cramped but the overhead lamp was ample enough to show everything going on inside. Jars and jars of human organs and body parts lined the walls and shelves, some with labels and others with price tags on them, all pickled in liquid and on display. You put a hand to your mouth as you looked them over and knew this was essentially a black market body farm where anyone could find the organ they wanted or needed at a price. Things like this were not knew, as the wall market back in Midgar had a similar thing going, but you had to wonder how many pour tourists and soldiers ended up here and what body parts were harvested from them.  
  
Then you heard someone mumbling in the back of the room and you followed the light around the corners of the shelves until you could see a makeshift operation table with a familiar person strapped down to it. Zack had been captured, drugged and laid out like a lab experiment with a middle aged lady bending over him with a scalple dangerously above his beautiful blue eyes. So it was mako eyes they were taking from the Soldiers and you didnt waste time wondering more about that as you interrupted her operation.  
  
"What the hell is all this?"You said clearly as the lady jumped and spun around. Angeal hopped off your shoulder and landed on Zack's chest as he tried to wake the young lad up.  
  
"How did you get in here?!" the lady spat through blackened teeth and judging by the amount of jewelry she had laced around her and her caramel skin, she was probably a local witch doctor with more than a few skeletons in the closet no pun intended. No wonder Angeal had been frogged.   
  
"IYou left the stupid back door wide open...." You said simply. "So what....you lure people here and chop them up? Seriously deranged hobby you've got."  
  
The lady didnt bother answering as she screamed and charged at you with the scalpel raised high. You jumped back and dodged her swipe as you threw your fist up and upper cutted her so hard her front teeth shattered. Even without materia you could channel energy into your punch and break through even brick and rock, such a thing for a Grand Mage was a piece of cake. Her head threw back as blood bursted from her lips and she fell over dead against her rack of nasties, knocking several of them over as they shattered on the ground.  
  
With that done and over you helped the frog Angeal untie his buddy and slapped him on the face a few times. There was no response and you could tell whatever drug she had used on him to subdue him in the first place must have been enough to knock out a pack of Chocobos. Zack was a soldier after all and those guys could take a lickin. So you did the next best thing. You grabbed his PHS out of his pocket and gave Shinra a ring leaving a anonymous message for them to check out your location and then turned to Angeal.  
  
"If she frogged you than there is probably a maidens kiss around here. Help me look for it." You said as you rummaged around the operation table for anything that might remedy his condition. Your froggy companion croaked and nudged a bottle of something towards you on the floor. Sure enough it was just what you needed and you opened the bottle and poured its milk white contents onto Angeal's head. In a poof of what dust and mist he was back in his human form....and totally naked.  
  
Your eyes widened and cheeks flushed with heat as he panicked and tried to find something to cover himself with. With nothing around at all that even remotely resembled clothes he put the table between you and him so you could only see his waists up but the damage had been done, you had seen the whole kit and kaboodle and had to admit he was bigger down there then you thought. But you tried to keep your cool and put a hand to your mouth to stiffle a giggle.  
  
"I guess I should have looked for your clothes first." You said and winked. "Consider it payback for the bathtub."  
  
His face burned with embarassment as he put a hand to his temples and covered his eyes. "I'm really sorry about that and I didn't mean to disturb your vacation!"  
  
"What were you two doing here anyway?"  
  
"To investigate this." Angeal said gesturing with his eyes at the house of horrors around you.  
  
"And she frogged you and drugged Zack....." you said looking down at the sleeping boy.   
  
"This isnt how I wanted our reunion to be." Angeal said apologetically.  
  
"Oh I'm not complaining." You gave a coy smile that made him blush an even deeper shade of red.  
  
"Please dont look!" he threw a hand out to protest.  
  
"I'm just happy you came to me for help." You shrugged.  
  
"I didnt think the other soldiers would believe a frog." He explained.  
  
"Did you have to jump on my face?"  
  
"I didnt know any other way to get your attention!" He exclaimed.  
  
"How did you even know I was at that Villa?"  
  
"I didnt! After she frogged me and dragged Zack away I was hoping through the streets trying to find anyone! But I saw the light from your villa and found you in the bathtub...."He stopped there and dropped his head in shame. "Seriously, I didnt mean to drop in on you like that!"  
  
You waved a hand in the air to dismiss the whole thing. "Okay fair enough, Shinra should be here any minute so have fun explaining to them why your butt naked behind a operating table."  
  
"Where are you going?" He finally looked back up.  
  
"Back to my Villa, I'm still on vacation! You can come see me when you are....proper." You smirked at him as you walked away and sure enough as you exited the building sirens were already sounding off in the distance. But in your mind the image of his rock hard body and lower areas was imprinted on your mind and again you had to keep a hand to your mouth to keep from laughing like a school girl. Naked guys werent exactly anything new to you but what you just saw left zero to the imagination and it would make for a good blackmail story later in life.


	20. By the fireside (EXPLICIT)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally things heat up between OC and Angeal! Enjoy a must chapter with the beefiest beefcake shinra has to offer!

About one hour had passed since the fiasco down town which thankfully was resolved and you didnt have to clean up so you waited back at your beach side villa for Angeal.  
  
You were just in the middle of making tea and turning on the fireside hearth when a soft knock came to the door. You set the tea kettle on the hearth to boil and answered it. The first thing that greeted you was a white flower and a slightly embarrassed Angeal face behind it.  
  
You stared at it for a moment before you realized he had brought it for you. "For me?"  
  
He nodded. "Apologies for earlier."  
  
You smiled and took the flower as you ushered him inside and locked the door behind you. In the living room with the fireside hearth burning brightly you checked the tea kettle and pulled it off as he looked about your cozy private dwellings. It was a far cry from the quarters Shinra issued to them on missions and entirely quaint and cozy, something honeymooners would use and the average traveler would envy.   
  
"How long will you be in town?" You asked as you set out cups for tea.  
  
"Until tomorrow." He said.  
  
"So you only came for that mission and that's it." You said in a slightly dissappointed tone.  
  
Angeal heard it in your voice and said. "I was planning to talk to you once you got back to Midgar....if you wanted that is."  
  
You were silent as you tried to think of what to say and shifted uncomfortably. You knew he had many questions and probably a lot of emotional baggage left over from what happened. Honestly you did too and you werent sure at all how to address it or even begin to talk about it. Where did you even begin? "Can we talk now?" You started by asking.  
  
"Of course. " He said as you two sat down on the shaggy rug in front of the fire and you handed him a cup of hot tea. So there you sat shoulder to shoulder.  
  
"How are you feeling? Are you well?" He asked.  
  
You nodded. "Healin Lodge has the best physical therapy Shinra has to offer. I was back on my feet within 2 weeks but i'll be on restrictions for the next couple of months. So far so good though, I can eat normally and move around."  
  
"You have no idea how sorry I am." He said in a slightly shaky voice. "I should have been there for you."  
  
You shook your head. "Don't be sorry. I knew what was going on and I went with Genesis anyway because I was stupid enough to think I could stop it all from happening."  
  
"I should have questioned him the moment he laid hands on you at the Gala. I was closest to him and yet I didnt do anything and I let you pay the price for my mistake, forgive me!" He clenched his eyes shut and bowed his head.  
  
"Have you heard from him at all in this time?"  
  
"Nothing. He's totally disappeared along with Hollander."  
  
"And the recording?"  
  
"Zack gave it to Lazard and it was sent for analysis but...we all saw what was on there." He suddenly turned to you. "You have no idea how hard it was seeing your lifeless body at his feet and then watching medical trying to revive you! I thought you were dead and it would have been all my fault!"  
  
You looked at the fire and watched its dancing flames. "My god....Rufus is right. He told me I'm too merciful on my enemies. I couldn't complete my mission in Yangwei because I didnt want to be a mass murderer, couldnt let Gongaga fall because I met Zack's family and couldnt destroy Genesis because of my personal feelings for....."You stopped yourself before you said any more and clutched your tea cup tightly.  
  
"Having a heart isnt a bad thing." Angeal said softly in disagreement.  
  
"No but its an inconvenience...."You countered and took a sip.  
  
"Then maybe its best we avoid each other in the future." He suggested but not with a happy tone. You turned to look at him and watched the flames dancing in his blue eyes.  
  
"I dont want that." You protested.  
  
"You should." He said sternly.  
  
"I'm not mad at you for any of this if that's what you're thinking. Every man chooses his own path after all and Genesis choose his....so what will yours be?" You leaned into his shoulder with your own not out of flirtation but friendly comfort.  
  
"If I had any idea of where he was I would go after him."  
  
"You dont think he returned to Banora?"  
  
"No that's too obvious........" and he let that statement hang in the air, remembering the revelation on the recording about your own origins and his.  
  
You were both silent as you tried to find a way to express that can of worms but you personally felt that a direct approach was the best. "Is it true about Hollander?"  
  
Angeal bit his lower lip and scrunched his brows together. "Unfortunately yes."  
  
"So he's really your father?"  
  
Angeal sighed. "He is but I don't really consider him that. He never really had a hand in my upbringing as I grew up with my mother and Genesis....He was never around."  
  
"Did he do something to you and Genesis?" You dared to ask.  
  
"Not that I can remember clearly but as a child when we were scouted for Soldier we went through a lot of testing in the Shinra labs. Mako infusions, physical therapy...things like that. If something was done, than I imagine it would have been before either of us were born....." He said it plainly enough but you had a hunch there was more to it than that, it was just that he didnt want to talk about it.  
  
"That's not all there is though....is there?" You pressed gently.  
  
He stiffened. "No...in the recording, it wasnt so clear but I could see other soldiers surrounding you and they all looked like him."  
  
"Yeah it was like they were...clones." You said thinking back on that memory. "Was that Hollander's doingtoo?"  
  
He shook his head slowly. "Not entirely....."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Genesis and I....we have..."special" abilities, something that other soldiers can't do but i'm afraid to show you and tell you."  
  
You bit your lower lip. "Hollander said that Genesis could replicate his DNA onto other people....can you do the same?"  
  
He nodded slowly. "Yeah...."  
  
"Does that mean you can control whatever you imprint on?"   
  
He gave a small shrug. "I dont know really, I've never tried to do it intentionally."  
  
You touched your chin and thought hard. "I wonder if thats how Genesis rallied those other soldiers....."  
  
Angeal changed the subject, not wanting you to think to hard on that issue now. "What were _you_ doing in Banora? Why would you have any ties to that place?"  
  
You gently shook your head. "I wasn't born there and I never really even lived there.... thats just happens to be the place I was "found"."  
  
He looked down at you. "What do you mean?"  
  
You took in a deep breath and pulled away from him slightly. "There's something wrong with me. Something wrong with my memories. Sometimes I see and hear things that are not from this world. Like memories of an ancient past. It happens when I use materia or if Im injured to the point of death. I can hear voices speaking things that are like warnings or prophecies. Its always warning me about something, some disaster that was and is and will be. When I trained in the Canyon my Grandfather told me its the cries of the Planet but I dont think that's it because only the Cetra have that ability....if you've ever heard the legends about them that is....I was found in Banora and given to the Bugh tribe for safe keeping but even they have no answers for me. I dont know why or how I got to Banora...but I was there and that is where my life started on this earth as far as my memories are concerned."  
  
"You don't think that Hollander...." He began.  
  
You quickly interjected. "No, I'm sure he has nothing to do with me and i'm pretty sure he knows nothing. That's the impression I got when I met him anyway and i`m pretty sure he was hacking my files in Shinra using Genesis's security clearance."  
  
Angeal felt some relief in that, god knows what Hollander like Hojo would do if they ever got their hands on someone like you. Atleast you were spared the brunt of their cruelties. He looked down at you and noted how fragile you looked when not in your uniform and also how dainty and feminine you came across despite the power you were able to harness. He was so used to seeing you on the line of battle, in all your glory and fearlessness but was smart enough to know that wasnt the whole truth and you were a lot more sensitive then you appeared to be. In this moment he was able to see all the insecurities you had deep down and admired that you could still function rationally despite all the trauma of the past few missions. Then for a moment the image of you naked in the bathtub crossed his mind and he tried hard to push it away but that was easier said than done. He was a man after all and little control over thoughts like that but he would never act on it.  
  
"Angeal...?" You asked as you noticed how quiet he got suddenly.  
  
He snapped out of it and shook his head. "Sorry I was just...."   
  
"You're blushing." You said as you laid a hand on his flushed cheek and he averted his eyes.  
  
"I should get going...."He began.  
  
"I dont want you to go." You said gently.  
  
His eyes widened a bit. "If I stay here I might....what I mean is....."  
  
"I want you to." You said simply and then his eyes got really wide and his face flushed bright red.  
  
"Why me?" He asked in a very small voice that was almost a whisper.  
  
Placing a hand over his heart you said. "Because of what's in here." His stiff body seemed to relax a little and he turned his whole body so you two were facing each other. "You came for me. If you hadnt brought me back to Midgar I would be dead or worse. I never expected anyone to put any effort into saving me, comrade or not, but you always have and you have no idea how that makes someone like me feel. Whenever you come for me, say nice things to me, compliment me or even just bring me flowers I feel it. Maybe you dont feel the same way in return and that's ok, I can live with that. As long as we can watch over each other."   
  
His hand closed over the one you had on his heart and he squeezed in gently. "You know how I feel. You've always been able to look right through me."  
  
Strong hands reached up and cupped either side of your face as he leaned in close enough that you could feel his breath at the end of your nose. The look he gave you was one you had never seen before on a man. Intensity and longing, the face of someone desperate for something like a dream or a goal to keep them going. Something intangible but achievable, something to strive for. You suddenly understood why Angeal talked about dreams and honor all the time: he himself thought he had neither.  
  
There was a moment where your mind seemed to connect and he saw what you were seeing, the understanding of his plight and his outer demeanor stripped down to its core and while it scared him someone could look at him like that, it was also a breath of fresh air. It was what was needed for him to finally drop his barriers and give himself over to someone and whatever feelings he had inside of himself. 

With your face still cupped in his hands he pressed his lips to yours and it was a sweet and simple kiss that lasted moments before the rush of heat that spread through your body and his. His lips parted slightly and you took the chance to press your mouth even harder against his. He grunted in approval and pushed his tongue into yours as he laced a hand through your hair and you his. Then slowly he pushed you down until you back touched soft carpet and his delicious weight fell on top of you. He was built like a tree with strong muscles and a wider frame but you liked it. In his arms you could feel safe and you feared nothing about him because deep down he was a very gentle guy and he displayed it even when making love to you.  
  
Your arms wrapped around his neck as he cradled you on the rug with the fire keeping you warm and used his big hands to push down the shoulder strap of your tank top, giving him enough bare flesh to kiss and nip at your neckline and suck the flesh there gently. You gasped at the pleasant sensation and rubbed your hands down his back and sides of his rock hard abs, seeking the hem of his shirt as you slid you hands up inside and felt all the wonderful flesh underneath. So many lines and contours that were so different from your own body and so manly. Everything about Angeal screamed masculinity in the best way possible and you relished every sensation.  
  
He sat up on his knees, straddling you under him and obliged your touches by pulling his shirt over his head then tossing it casually to the side. Your breath stopped and face burned as you stared up at his chiseled chest and all the glory that was a first class soldier. The men were idolized for their god like bodies and strength and it was well deserved. But my god the look in his eyes was to die for and he smiled at the sight of your blushing face before he helped you sit up and put both your hands on his chest. You suddenly felt like a school girl and didnt know what to say or do. You werent all that renowned for dating within Shinra, though you did flirt from time to time, when it came to relationships you had never thought to start anything with anyone and Angeal was the only man who ever got your wheels turning. That being said, in you 18 years on this earth you hadnt ever slept with anyone either and while sex took no rocket scientist to understand, you were totally inexperienced despite being older than the lot of those soldier boys.   
  
He helped you out of your bra and tank top, tossing them to the side the way he did his own shirt and his eyes dropped to your chest for a moment pleased to see what was hidden underneath you clothing before sliding a rough hand over one of your exposed breasts and giving it a gentle squeeze all the while guiding you back to the floor while working your breast in small circles. He liked the feel of the soft flesh against his hand and teased it between his fingers firmly enough to get a small moan out of you. When you complied with more small noises his flushed face bent down and took it into his mouth, circling it with his tongue before sucking gently at its center. You saw stars for a moment and laced your hands in his hair all while throwing your head back and gasping for air.  
  
Seeing you come apart was enough to drive him goad him on and drive him further but even with all his power he would never force himself on a women. So when his hand slid up your thigh and stopped just short of your butt he asked, "Can I touch you more?"  
  
The fact that he even thought to ask made you almost giggle but you held it back by biting your lip and nodding quickly. With your skirt sufficiently bunched up around your waist and your white panties exposed for all to see he slid his hand underneath your butt and gave it a long lingering squeeze then tactfully removed your bunched up tank, skirt and panties in one swift move. Suddenly you were totally naked underneath him and you wondered for a moment if he was going to like what he saw.  
  
Obviously he did. Peppering kisses from your breasts and down the slope of your stomach he worked himself lower until he nipped at your hip bone and this caused you to open your legs to him on reflex as he settled into position with his head hovering dangerously over your nether regions. Suddenly your brain did mental gymnastics the minute he kissed the inside of your thigh before gently pushing them wider apart and lowering his face down into your most intimate areas. Okay, admittedly you never though Angeal for a oral type of guy. Of course all men love receiving it but not once did it enter your mind that maybe he liked giving it or even knowing about how to do it. You didnt have time to ponder when or how he learned about this when his tongue flicked over your sensitive spot and you slapped a hand over your mouth to stifle the loud moan that suddenly erupted from you. Just the thought of what he was doing was enough to make you orgasm and it was a tad embarrassing.  
  
He, on the other hand, thought it was a downright turn on so he gladly did it again, stroking your folds with his tongue and darting it in and out of your entrance then settling back to your sensitive clit. He growled against you like some hungry beast as the area he sucked at swelled more and more and your back arched in pleasure and legs shivered ever so slightly. When you're breathing became uncontrollable and you felt heat building up in the pit of your stomach you cried out his name and he stopped just short of bringing you to the edge leaving you in a sweaty mess on the floor. Something a little cunning flashed in his ice blue mako eyes as he smiled at you, crawling back up so that your faces were level with each other and cupping a hand to your cheek so you couldnt look away.  
  
"Im not going to let it end that quickly...not when I can enjoy watching you writhe on the floor like this." He said in a breathless voice drowning in desire. You grabbed the back of his neck and shoved your mouth against his again, using your tongue to explore and taste him as he grunted at your sudden show of force. The desire to have every part of him inside of you was too strong as you rolled him over onto his back and straddled him from above, quickly working at his jean buttons and pulling his pants down past his hips enough for his organ to pop out and lie flat against your belly.  
  
You didnt need to look down to know it was big because his pants bulge was always available for you and everyone else to gawk at. You also knew him well enough to know he never used a cup guard and everything that was packed down there was the real thing. When you felt its stiffness against you, you gently rocked back and forth grinding ever so softly against it all the while keeping your lips locked to his. He groaned again in your mouth and eagerly cupped your bum in both his hands as you rubbed against him. Only when you felt it throb against you and a small hint of moisture erupt from the tip did you let his mouth leave yours and only so you could watch his face as you felt down the plains of his abdominals and wrapped a hand around him. His whole body tensed up and eyes rolled back into his head as you stroked him a few times.

Your hips seemed to work on their own volition, grinding against his until you felt the tip of his manhood at your entrance and while the desire to drive down on him hard and fast was all too real, the part of your mind that was still self aware hesitated at his size and you seemed to to instinctively know that it would hurt. So very carefully and slowly you lowered yourself onto him and felt the sting of him stretching you. You couldnt hold back a shudder as you did so and Angeal was patient enough to let you work yourself out before he took control again.

When his organ bottomed out within you, you paused for your body to adjust to having something so large inside of itself and only after a full minute or two did you attempt to ride him. His hands found your hips and gently guided them up and down his shaft until a smooth rythm was found and the pain subsided. He watched your face intently for cues that you were ready for more and once the tension from your brow dissappeared and jaw slackened in pleasure did he take over. He picked up the pace, driving up into you a bit harder and faster as your body bounced off of his, hips slapping into each other loudly. You couldnt help but close your eyes and moan, placing your hands on his stomach as an anchor while he plunged himself into you over and over. His size and girth hit just that right spot on the front wall of your passage that made your body tingle and lower stomach shudder.

He loved the site of your body riding atop his and the bounce of your breasts with every thrust, the feel of your warm body clenching down on his organ and the lewd noises that sex brought with it but most of all he loved that he was experiencing all of this with you. Having you so open and vulnerable to him made him strive harder to please you, to make sure this experience was not regretted and never forgotten. So with vigor his pleasured you and savored all the sensations that only lovemaking could bring.

Just when your legs started shaking from the strain of being on top did he roll you over so he could nestle himself between your legs and continue his ministrations. He was oh so powerful yet gentle, making sure his weight didnt crush you and applied just enough force to his kisses and caresses to make the experience exciting. He was masterful in his lovemaking, twisting his hips in just the right way to hit that delicious spot in side of you while you writhed underneath him, your breath coming in long heavy sighs. You goaded him to go deeper when your legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him as close to you as you could manage and he grunted in pleasure at the invitation. So with that he pumped into you as deep as he could, his brow knit in concentration as sweat dappled his forehead.

When he moaned and gasped a few minutes later he knew he wouldnt last much longer. Not that his stamina was ever in question, but he had not had anyone intimately for a while and had not expected things to go the way they were this evening so had no time to prepare before hand. He sat up on his knees and grabbed your legs, hoisting them over his shoulders as he made good on what was left of his resolve and from there continued on, with the a full view of his body moving against yours and his glorious abs tensing with every thrust. He went faster and pressed his thumb into your sensative bud, circling it lightly as your back arched and you screamed his name.

The orgasm took you completely by surprise and you couldnt control your own eyes rolling into the back of your head as your lower body clenched around him as you tried to breath through the waves of ecstacy that took you over and over again leaving you a hapless thing in the throes of passion. He watched you come undone and the sight sent him over the edge as he growled and threw his head back, his body finally succumbing as his own orgasm over took him and he released himself into your hot crevace and collapsed onto you, catching his weight in his elbows before he crushed you entirely.

For the next several minutes you both relearned how to breathe as you came down from your highs and remained as you were, afraid to break the moment and too tired to do much else. It was Angeal who finally moved off of you, letting his body flop to your side as he scooped you closer into a spooning position. His big hand moved sweaty hair from your face and brushed it back behind your ear while you rested your head on his bicep and enjoyed the feel of his body against your back.

"Was I too rough?" He asked earnestly.

You had to giggle at that. After all was said and done he was still treating you like glass. "Yes but in a good way, I enjoyed it. Will you have to return to Midgar tomorrow?"

"Unfortunatly yes."

"I can't leave until the end of the week, when my R and R is up. Will you be waiting for me there?" You dared to ask.

"You know I will."

You turned around to face him and placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry." you said suddenly.

"For what?" his blue eyes looked into yours.

"For what happened....with Genesis. He is really important to you and I came between the both of you."

"Don't ever think that." Angeal said softly. "You are not responsible for his defecting. You did what you were ordered to do, to the best of your ability and went above and beyond trying to stop him. So much so it almost cost you your life. I will mourn the lost of my best friend but he is still alive out there. If you had lost your life I would never forgive myself for failing to protect you."

"But that's not your responsibility either." you pointed out.

"It is when you love someone." He said easily and you paused to take in the words he had just said with wide eyes. When you didnt reply back he went on. "Is that ok? That I love you?"

"Yes." You smiled. "Because I love you too."

He wrapped his arms more snuggly around you. "I am very glad to hear that. Once we return to Midgar, things will be very different. For you and me, for everyone."

"I know..."You said sadly. "But we can support each other. I will always be around for you when you need me."

"Thank you (y/n), that means more to me than you can imagine."

With the fire dying down in the hearth and the two of you satiated, you rested against each other and enjoyed the simple comfort of each other's company for the remainder of the evening.


End file.
